Morzan's Curse
by Tori of Lorien
Summary: After collapsing from the scar on his back, Murtagh finds himself under the care of his brother and Arya. Both Galbatorix and Eragon are working to solve the mysteries of Morzan's scar... and learn it's horrible secret.
1. Enough

**Morzan's Curse**

**Summary**: Murtagh runs away from Galbatoix with Thorn after he is questioned. After collapsing because of the scar on his back, Murtagh finds himself under the care of his younger brother and Arya. Both Galbatorix and Eragon are working to solve the mystery of Morzan's scar… and learn its horrible secret.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything from Christopher Paolini, since I am not him.

**A/N**: Hi! I'm glad you guys liked The Mark. But, there was a misconception about it, for you guys seemed to think that Galbatorix was too caring. I should have made this clearer so it is partly my fault, and I just wanted to clear this up now! Galbatorix doesn't care at all about Murtagh and his well being. The only reason he seemed slightly concerned is because Murtagh is pretty much his greatest weapon and hope for the Empire, and if he loses him, it will be harder for him to win the war. That's all. He could care less if Murtagh had a nightmare or something. Lol So, anyway, here's the next story. This takes place the morning after the night in The Mark. I'm going to remind you (or warn you if it's the case), to read The Mark first. It will make a lot more sense that way!

Ch. 1: Enough

Galbatorix looked up when the door to the throne room opened, and he nodded when he saw who had entered. "You called for me, Master?" Murtagh asked tightly, no feeling in his voice as he quickly bowed.

"Yes, I did, Murtagh." Galbatorix answered, setting his document aside as he got to his feet. "I was just wondering… if you were having any disturbing dreams last night. Something that would distract you from your training."

Murtagh instantly became defensive as he looked back at Galbatorix suspiciously. "Why?" he said slowly, his hand automatically moving to his back.

Galbatorix's eyes narrowed slightly, almost being able to see the boy's glowing scar through his tunic. He didn't care about him at all, but he didn't want to upset him either. "It seemed horrible."was all he muttered. "I could hear your scream from down the hall, so I came in to see what was wrong."

Murtagh's eyes flared angrily. "You were in my room?!" he cried. "It's none of your business what I dream about anyway!" He knew that he was being rude and he would probably get a punishment for it later, but he didn't care. He was furious at the king.

Galbatorix sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to get an answer. He figured he should try a different approach. "How is your scar, Murtagh?" he wondered.

This time, Murtagh seemed to be surprised by the question. "What about it?" he asked, laying his hand on his back again. Something was different…

"I was just wondering about it." Galbatorix answered. "It seems different to me. Does it… _hurt_ at all or anything?"

Suspicion arose in Murtagh again. "No." he told him defiantly. "Why do you even care?"

Galbatorix sighed. It was impossible to get an answer out of this boy! "I don't. I just want to make sure that you're in top shape for fighting!" he snapped. "Because of your rudeness, we will be spending an extra hour of intense training today! You are dismissed."

Murtagh bowed again and hurriedly left the room, anxious to avoid any more questions. The king sat back down on his chair, sighing. He knew that something was unusual about the scar on Murtagh's back. He just didn't know what.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Murtagh closed the door to his room and leaned against it, closing his eyes as tears came to them. _What am I doing_?he thought, wiping them away. _Why am I letting Galbatorix get to me?_

_Are you all right, Murtagh?_ Thorn asked from his position on the floor. _Galbatorix didn't punish you, did he?_

Murtagh looked over at his dragon, a small smile on his face. _No, it's not that._he answered. _I'm fine. He's just starting to ask me what my dreams were last night. I guess he was in here._

Thorn nodded._ He asked me to watch over you through the night._he told him. _But you didn't tell him about your dream, did you? The one about the night your father gave you that scar on your back?_

Murtagh shook his head, but his face darkened at the mention of Morzan. Thorn was the only one he had told. _No._he said quietly. _I would never…_ His thought trailed off. He suddenly gasped when he felt Thorn's large head rest comfortably on his back, trying to comfort him.

_I'm glad you didn't._ Thorn replied, looking up into his Rider's face. _But he'll probably draw it from your mind during training later._

Murtagh's face darkened again, but he still ran his hand over his dragon's head. _That's not going to happen, Thorn._he muttered, looking at his and Thorn's reflections in the mirror next to his door. _There won't be a later. He's not getting into my mind again._

Thorn growled softly with confusion. _What do you mean?_he asked, watching as the nineteen-year-old knelt down next to his bed and reached underneath it. _What are you doing, Murtagh?_

When Murtagh straightened back up, he was holding a sword tightly in his hand. Zar'roc, the sword that once belonged to his father, was now a part of him. He fought back some more tears as he painfully remembered what this sword had done to him, but he managed to keep them back when he turned to face the dragon in the room with him. _Tell me now if there's anything that you want to bring with you, Thorn._he said, strapping Zar'roc to his thin waist. _I've had enough of this. We're leaving._

Xxxxxxxxxx

Saphira… 

_Saphira…_

_Saphira!_

Saphira looked down on Surda, watching as all of the people ran around to do what needed to be done, even though it was still early in the morning. Ever since Ajihad died and Nasuada had taken control of the Varden, and she, Eragon, and Arya had returned to Surda, everything seemed to be a lot more desperate.

But that wasn't what was on Saphira's mind as she watched all of the people. What she was thinking of was what had happened to her last night. She had spoken to a dragon that she had only met once before. She had been deep in her dreamless sleep when an image suddenly appeared in her mind. Saphira had recognized the red form immediately. It was Thorn, the dragon that returned to Murtagh. What she was surprised about was that he was communicating with her, not threatening to harm her or Eragon.

Thorn had seemed frightened and desperate. He spoke of how something unknown was causing Murtagh to suffer, and he wanted it to stop. The dragon also wanted to get both him and his Rider away from Galbatorix so that they could be free from unwillingly serving him. But they needed help, and he seemed to be begging for it.

Saphira sighed as she hung her head. _Thorn…_ she thought intently, closing her eyes. She didn't know if the other dragon could hear her or not, but she knew that he knew that she was willing to help them. There were only a few dragons left, and the less that were under Galbatorix's control, the better. She could only hope that Eragon would feel the same way.

Speaking of which…

Saphira turned her head to look behind her when she heard a slight rustle, watching as Eragon sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. _Good morning, little one._the dragon said, turning to look away from him again.

"Morning." Eragon replied, his voice thick with sleep. Then, he looked at her with confusion. "Saphira," he muttered, concerned, "are you all right?" He was expecting an immediate reaction of "yes" from her, but he grew worried when she didn't respond.

_No._ Saphira finally told him. _I… am having confusing feelings._

_About what?_ Eragon asked, getting to his feet. Then, he smiled slightly, deciding to tease her a little. _About another dragon?_

What he heard next, he was not expecting at all.

_Yes._ Saphira answered. She sighted, then turned to look at him. _Eragon, can someone who you though would never be your friend end up being a friend?_

Eragon, still bewildered, nodded. _Yes, of course._he said. _Why do you ask?_

But Saphira didn't answer. Instead, she looked him seriously in the eyes. _You once offered to give help to your brother and his dragon; to break Galbatorix's hold on them._she muttered. _Are you still willing to give that help?_

Eragon looked back at her, anger welling up inside of him as he thought of Murtagh and his betrayal… which soon lead to thoughts about how none of this was his fault. Then, he nodded. _Yes._he told her. _Murtagh is my brother. I can' t abandon him if there's a chance I can do something to help him and Thorn. I'm not sure what I can do or what power I have, but I'd do anything._

Saphira seemed to smile. _Good, little one,_ she replied, _because Murtagh and Thorn are ready to accept that help._

Xxxxxxxxxx

Murtagh looked down at the scenery below them, wondering what his dragon was thinking. _Thorn, are you headed anywhere in particular?_he asked. _It seems like you already know where you're going._

Thorn growled softly. _I already know a good place for us to go._he answered, swerving to avoid a large bird. _Surda. Someone there will be willing to take us in._

_Surda?_ Murtagh muttered, looking at his dragon's eyes. _Why would you-!_ His question was sharply cut off when a searing pain ran along the scar on his back. The boy cried out, holding on to his dragon's neck for support. He began to shake from the cold wind as sweat appeared on his forehead.

_Murtagh?_ Thorn asked anxiously, glancing back at him. _Murtagh?!  
_

Murtagh didn't reply. He couldn't see anything around him or feel the heavy wind on his face. Instead, all he could see was an image of his father drinking and balancing Zar'roc between his fingers. Then, that image was replaced with the one of Morzan throwing his sword at a three-year-old version of himself when he ran past, the red blade slicing his back from his right shoulder down to his left hip…

Tears formed in his eyes when the pain from his scar would not subside, but only intensified. "Thorn…" Murtagh whispered, his voice weak as the tears streamed down his face.

_Hold on, Murtagh!_ Thorn shouted, not able to hide his anxiousness. _We're almost there!_

The last thing that Murtagh heard before darkness consumed him was Thorn crying for help to another dragon.

**A/N**: Wow. A cliffie on chapter one! lol! Thanks for reading my other story, and I hope you like this one as well! Later!


	2. The Burning Scar

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing from Eragon or Eldest. My name is not Christopher Paolini.

**A/N**: Wow. I'm glad you guys like this story so far! Thank you to all who have reviewed. This is for you guys (as well as for people who haven't reviewed but have read)!

**Fredsonetrueluv**: I'm glad this has grabbed your attention! I hope you like this next chapter as well!

**Brix**: Thanks! What kind of cookie? Lol

**LoNnI**: I hate stories where they hate each other too, so I'm glad that this one isn't like that! Thanks!

**Tiger Priestess**: I'm excited to read your story! I am always willing to accept ideas and help, and I am always willing to give help or ideas as well. So, just tell me what you have in mind! Thanks a lot!

**Sakura evil twin of Sango**: Thanks for being my first reviewer! I'm glad you like this!

I also want to take this time to say that if you haven't read The Mark first, please do so. Thanks! Also, I forgot to mention that there might be some slight pairings in this story. Try to spot them!

Ch. 2: The Burning Scar

Murtagh had no idea where he was. The last thing he remembered was seeing memories of his past… and the burning of the scar on his back. It still hurt him, but the pain had subsided slightly. Besides that, he found that it was hard for him to breathe, and his breath was coming in short gasps. He was in a panic. _Thorn!_ Murtagh shouted desperately. _Thorn, where are you?!_

"Remove his tunic."a girl's voice said, sounding distant. "That might help him to breathe better."

Murtagh felt hands that did not match the voice he had heard beginning to loosen the strings of his tunic. _So, there are at least two people with me._he thought as his shirt was finally lifted over his head, exposing his back and stomach. _But… where am I?_ For the first time, he felt that he was lying in a bed, surrounded by soft pillows. But he still did not open his eyes. He was afraid to see what he would find if he did. What if he was back in Galbatorix's fortress and was being tended to by some of the king's servants? At least now he was safe in his own mind.

Then, his eyes clenched tightly shut when he felt two hot cloths on his chest, one where his lungs were and one where his heart was. "That should help him to breathe."the girl muttered. "At least a little. Stay with him. I'm going to get some more water and talk with the dragons. Call for me if you need anything. I'll be right outside the room."

Murtagh heard a door close somewhere in the distance. Then, he heard the other person speak for the first time.

"It's all right, Murtagh. You're safe here. Galbatorix will not get to you."

Confused, Murtagh slowly opened his eyes and found himself looking into the smiling face of someone he knew well. "Eragon?" he asked, sitting up. He didn't get too far though, and he cringed when the scar on his back painfully throbbed.

Eragon was concerned when he saw that his brother was in obvious pain. "Don't try to move."he told the older Rider, gently helping him to lay back down. "You're hurt. Just relax. Everything will be fine."

Murtagh closed his eyes, tears springing up in them. He only wanted the pain in his back to leave him…

Eragon looked around the room and noticed that a bowl of ice water was on the table next to Murtagh's bed. He grabbed another cloth and dunked it in, only wringing it out a tiny bit. "Here, drink this."the Rider said, moving the cloth over his brother's mouth and squeezing the water into it.

Murtagh gratefully drank the small amount of water, finding it refreshing. He hadn't realized how thirsty he was… Then, he opened his eyes and looked up when he heard the door to the room open.

Arya entered and sat down on the bed next to Eragon, placing the bowl of steaming water on the table beside the cold one. "You're awake."she commented, removing the cloths from his chest. Then, she went on to check his breathing and heartbeat.

Murtagh was silent as she checked over him. His eyes were closed tightly, the pain from his scar growing again. He heard Arya sigh as she finally stopped her examination.

"His breathing and vital signs seem to be normal now, which is much better than when we first brought him here. I'm surprised about this drastic change."she whispered to Eragon. "I do not know what is causing his suffering, but whatever it is, it's powerful."

Eragon sighed with worry as he looked down on his brother. "Is there anything that you can do?" he asked, his eyes pleading. "Can you stop these attacks?"

Arya gave him a faint smile. "I'm going to try to find the cause of all of this."she answered so that Eragon was the only one that could hear her. "I have no doubt that this could possibly be Galbatorix's doing." Then, she turned her attention to the other Rider. "Murtagh, can you turn over?" she asked.

Murtagh nodded, but he cringed when he rolled over on to his stomach. Arya's eyes immediately landed on the Rider's scar, but she passed over it and moved on to inspecting his neck.

But Eragon's eyes narrowed when he looked at his brother's scar. "Wait."he muttered as Arya straightened up. "There's something different about his scar." Looking closer, Eragon noticed that the long line that ran across Murtagh's back had a blackish tint to it that was never there before…

Suddenly, Murtagh involuntarily cried out when another wave of intense pain coursed through the scar on his back. Eragon and Arya both gasped when they saw a faint black glow coming from the scar. "Murtagh, hold on!" the elf cried, placing her hand lightly on his back, feeling that his upper body was tensed.

Eragon watched sadly as tears began to fall from Murtagh's eyes and as he tried to fight to keep them back with no success. Arya was about to remove her hand from his back, but she noticed that she had accidentally laid it on top of the scar. Now, she could feel dark energy radiating from it. _So, it's the scar that's causing all of this…_ she though. Then, she gasped when images suddenly came to her mind, and she realized that Murtagh must have been seeing these same things.

Murtagh finally let the tears fall freely from his eyes when more images of his past formed in his mind. He saw his father angrily drinking at the local tavern in the town where he had grown up. That was soon replaced with the image of Morzan throwing Zar'roc at him, but something was different. This time, the Forsworn member wasn't throwing his sword at the three-year-old version of himself. He was throwing it at his present day self…

Murtagh tried to fight back another cry when another image came to his mind, but he couldn't. This time, he saw his father standing on his dragon's head, both black outlines against the dark sky. The only things that could be clearly seen were his father's glowing red eyes, Zar'roc's red blade glowing at his side…

Arya gasped and jumped back, her breathing quick. "It's horrible."she whispered shakily, her face pale. She had felt some pain in her back in about the same area that Murtagh's scar was, but the elf knew that what she felt couldn't possibly compare to what the Rider was experiencing.

Eragon looked at her for a moment, then turned his attention to his brother. "Murtagh, can you hear me?" he asked, anxiously looking into his pale, damp face.

Murtagh's teeth were clenched and his eyes were shut tightly. But when he heard the other Rider's voice, his eyes slowly fluttered open. "Eragon?" he asked quietly before closing his eyes again as a fresh wave of pain rushed through his scar.

Eragon angrily looked at the scar on Murtagh's back, making up his mind. He moved his hand over the long line, concentrating hard on his magic. "Waise heill!" (**be healed!**) he said intently, the mark on his hand glowing. He hoped that this action would relieve Murtagh of some of the pain. For a moment, the young Rider thought that he was actually doing something since his brother seemed to be calming down a little. But then, the scar gave off a burst of black energy, and Eragon fell off the bed.

"Eragon!" Arya cried, dropping down next to him on the floor. "Are you all right?"

Murtagh slowly opened one of his eyes, looking down on his younger brother. "Eragon… I'm sorry… I couldn't… help it…" he muttered before he slipped into unconsciousness. As soon as his consciousness was gone, the scar on his back stopped glowing.

Eragon quickly got to his feet and sat at his brother's side. "Murtagh!" he shouted, dismayed to see that he wasn't conscious. Then, seeing that the scar was no longer glowing, he carefully rolled the older Rider onto his back.

Arya slowly stood up and looked at Eragon, worried. "Are you all right, Eragon?" she asked.

Eragon looked up at her from where he was sitting beside Murtagh. "This is not Galbatorix's doing. I know it's not."he said in a whisper, his eyes determined. "But I _will_ figure out what's going on, and I _will_ stop this from happening to Murtagh… no matter what the cost. Vel einradhin iet ai Shur'tugal!" (**Upon my word as a Rider**!)

Xxxxxxxxxx

Night fell over Surda, but the bustle of people did not cease. Saphira sighed as she watched them, wondering if life would ever return to normal for these people. She figured it probably wouldn't until Galbatorix's reign was ended. The dragon looked over her shoulder when she heard heavy footsteps approaching. She saw Thorn walk up and stop next to her, looking down on the people of Surda with worry in his eyes.

_How is Murtagh?_ Saphira asked, concerned.

Thorn looked at her. _He's sleeping peacefully now. That last attack really took a lot out of him._he answered. _Eragon won't leave his side. He's trying to figure out what's happening to him. Arya is planning on sending a message to Ellesmera to ask for aid from her people. We might have to wind up leaving to go there. But it doesn't matter. I'll do anything it takes to help him._

Saphira looked at the other dragon with sympathy, seeing the tears that had formed in his eyes. _Oh, Thorn._she muttered, slightly nudging his head with her own. _Everything will be okay. You'll help Murtagh through this. You'll see._

Thorn sighed, softly nudging her back. _Thanks, Saphira._he replied, his mind on his Rider. _All we can do now is hope._

**A/N**: Poor Murtagh! Lol Hope you liked it! I'll update as soon as I can!


	3. A Curse I Must Live With

**Disclaimer**: I am not Christopher Paolini so I do not own any of his characters! The plot, though, is mine! Lol

**A/N**: All you guys that have been reviewing have been very awesome! I would like to take this moment to thank all of you, and say that if you want to talk to me sometime other than just reviewing, I have put contact info and options on my profile under (hold on. Let me check…) the random, kinda interesting things about me section. I would love to hear from you! I'm writing some books outside of so that's an excellent way to learn about what else I do. Okay, here's the next chapter!

Ch. 3: "A Curse I Must Live With"

Murtagh stirred slightly and slowly opened his eyes. The room was dark, faint hints of the moon's rays coming through the window the only source of light. Looking to his right, the Rider saw that Eragon was sitting in a chair beside his bed. He was reading out of a thick book in the light of the moon. "Eragon?" Murtagh asked quietly.

Jumping at the sudden sound of his name, Eragon looked away from the faded pages and into his brother's face, both relieved and surprised to see that he was conscious. "Murtagh!" he said, setting the book down next o him on the bed. "How are you feeling?"

Surprisingly, Murtagh found that he was able to sit up and that he wasn't feeling any pain on his back. "I'm fine now."he replied. "I'm just exhausted from the last attack. What were you reading?"

Eragon looked at the book that he had set down. "It's just a book that Arya lent me."he told his brother, picking it up again. He looked at Murtagh straight in the eye. "I need you to tell me about that scar on your back."he said quietly.

Murtagh met his brother's gaze with confidence. "It's exactly what I told you before."he muttered. "Morzan came home to the castle he was keeping me in to keep my existence a secret to only a few. He was drunk from spending a lot of time at the tavern, and my mother still gave him more because he demanded it. He was holding his sword when I was running around the room… and he just threw it at me. I'm not sure why the man did it, and I never will."

Eragon nodded, ashamed that a father would do such a terrible thing to a young and innocent child. "Are you sure that Morzan didn't have an intent when he threw Zar'roc?" he asked. "He must have known that it would leave that scar."

Murtagh shrugged. "He was drunk. I'm not sure what was going through his mind at the time."he answered, a smug smile on his face. "All I know is that he left his mark on me. Now, every time I see the scar that he left behind, I'm reminded of that man. Not a very good thing to wake up to every morning, I'll tell you that. It's a curse that I must live with."

_Curse_. The word struck a chord in Eragon, and his mind soon wandered to the thought that Murtagh's scar might not be what it appeared to be… "Murtagh, what do you see when the scar on your back begins to hurt?" the young Rider asked.

Darkness crossed across Murtagh's face at the question. "Painful memories of my past are resurfaced with each attack, along with some that I have never seen."he answered. At that moment, he remembered one image in particular.

Morzan was standing on top of his dragon's head, both of them black outlines against the dark sky. The only things that were clearly visible were the Rider's glowing red eyes, Zar'roc's red blade glowing at his side…

Murtagh anticipated to feel pain from his scar when he remembered this memory, but nothing happened. Instead, a wave of tiredness washed over him, and he closed his eyes. This action did not go unnoticed.

"Get some sleep, Murtagh." Eragon said, giving his brother a kind smile. "I'll be right here if you need anything."

Murtagh nodded and laid down against his pillow, his heavy eyelids closing as he drifted off into a restless sleep. He hoped that nothing would happen… not again…

Eragon sighed as he got to his feet and went to the window, looking out at the moonlight. He was relieved to have Murtagh back, seeming to be on his side again. Now, he was determined to keep him away form Galbatorix… at any cost. He would protect his brother, and make sure that Galbatorix didn't lay a hand on him. He would make sure of that.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Arya entered Murtagh's room, seeing that Eragon was still sitting by the older Rider's side. She quietly walked over to him, placing her hand lightly on his shoulder so she wouldn't startle him. "Eragon," she whispered when he got to his feet, "Saphira has agreed to bring me to Ellesmera to see what they can do for Murtagh. Thorn will stay here with both of you to watch over you."

Eragon nodded, looking into her eyes. "Be careful, Arya."he said quietly. "I'm sure that Galbatorix has sent many people out to look for Murtagh since he ran away. You don't know who or what could be out there."

Arya smiled and gave his hand an encouraging squeeze. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."she told him. "After all, I am with _your _dragon."

Eragon smiled back. "I just can't help but worry."he replied.

"Well, you don't have to." Arya muttered, walking toward the door of the room. "The sooner I get leaving, the sooner we can help your brother. I should return in a couple of days, or I will have Saphira send you word."

_Will you be all right without me, little one?_ Saphira asked from outside in the night sky.

_I'll be fine, Saphira._ Eragon answered, a small smile appearing on his face again. _Thorn will be here if anything happens._

There was a silence before the dragon said anything. _I trust Thorn._she finally said slowly. _You're in good hands. But contact me if you need anything._

"I must be going." Arya whispered. "Don't worry. Hardly any time will pass before I send word."

Eragon nodded, watching her leave. Then, he turned to his brother, who was still sleeping peacefully. 'We'll find a way to help you soon, Murtagh.'he though. 'Just keep holding on.'

Xxxxxxxxxx

Galbatorix had been enraged when he found out that Murtagh had left Uru'Baen. Now, he was concentrating on trying to find ways to get him back. 'He will get the worst punishment that he has ever received.'the king vowed to himself. 'I will just barely come up short of killing him. Maybe that way, he'll actually learn not to test me.'

Now, he was speaking to the Urgals. "I want you to bring him back to me."he said, addressing the leader as he pulled out an arrow. "Use these, but only on him if you absolutely have to. Attack someone else with these if you can. Otherwise, don't hesitate to use these on Murtagh."

The Urgal leader looked at it, then looked at Galbatorix in confusion. "Aren't those poison arrows?" he asked in his language. "I though you wanted the boy alive…"

"I do!" Galbatorix interrupted. "The poison in those arrows is slow-acting and agonizing. It will not kill its victim for a full twenty-four hours after they are infected. If you follow your instructions carefully and precisely, then you can get Murtagh to me in time for me to extract the poison from him so he will not die. That is, if you decide to infect him. Now go! Time is wasting. I'm sure you will be able to find a red dragon with a group of your size. Find Thorn… and you find Murtagh."

Once the Urgals were gone, Galbatorix quickly left the room and entered a small side chamber. He smiled as he shut the door behind him. "Finally… the spell is almost complete."he whispered to himself. "My greatest weapon is nearly finished. Then, the Varden will not stand a chance against my forces."

At the sound of the king's voice, a pair of glowing red eyes appeared out of the heavy darkness…

**A/N**: Oo! A cliffie! Sorry, guys! I had to keep it interesting, didn't I? Poor Murtagh. He's going to be in _so_ much trouble if he's caught. What happens next? You'll have to keep reading to find out! I also just noticed that I used a song name in this chapter. "Keep Holding On" is a song in the credits of the Eragon movie! lol


	4. Conflict in the Air

**Disclaimer**: Um, I still think that I don't own any of Paolini's characters…

**A/N**: Tons of reviews! This is officially my top rated story! Yay! Thanks, guys! But you're really keeping me on my toes with this story. This is my third update in like five nights (well, fourth if you count the transition from The Mark to this one… but who's being technical? Lol). Normally, it takes a while for me to update! Speaking of which, I should update my LOTR story. Right, Kalisona? Lol. So, anyway, here's the next chapter! Hope you like it!

Ch. 4: Conflict in the Air

Eragon gasped as he was suddenly awoken by a scream. Not really realizing that he had dozed off, he looked wildly around him to try to find the source of the noise. His heart wrenched when he finally saw the cause in the golden rays of the rising sun.

Murtagh was lying tensed on the bed, sweat on his forehead as he struggled to fight back another cry. The line that ran along his back was faintly glowing.

Alarmed, Eragon rushed to his side. "Murtagh!" he shouted. "Hold on! It'll be over with in a minute! How long has this been going on?"

Even though he couldn't see Eragon, Murtagh could hear his brother's voice. All he could see were two, glowing red eyes surrounded by darkness… But the younger Rider had asked a question. How long had the attack been happening? He didn't want to worry him…

"Not… long." Murtagh muttered through his gasps.

Eragon looked at him with worry, gently turning his brother from his side to completely on his back. Then, he grabbed a cloth and wet it with cold water, placing in on Murtagh's burning forehead.

_Don't let him lie to you._the younger Rider heard Thorn's voice radiating from right outside the window. _Judging by your clocks, this attack has been lasting for about eight minutes now._

Eragon was stunned. _Eight minutes_?! An attack had never lasted that long before! He turned to Murtagh, whose eyes were tightly shut. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Eragon demanded, not meaning to sound as angry as he did. "I could have tried to help you earlier, and you wouldn't have had to go through this!"

Murtagh opened his eyes, his vision finally starting to return. "You were sleeping."he told him the pain in his back beginning to subside and fade away. "I didn't want to wake you. You need the rest."

"Well, you should have." Eragon replied, seeing that Murtagh wasn't so tensed anymore. "Next time, wake me immediately if you begin to feel the slightest hint of any pain at all. All right?"

Murtagh nodded, not saying anything as he closed his eyes and took a relieved breath. At least the scar had stopped burning…

Eragon sighed. He couldn't stay mad at Murtagh… not when he was like this. "How are you feeling now?" he asked with concern.

"Cold." Murtagh answered, beginning to unconsciously shiver.

Anxious, Eragon quickly took the cloth off of Murtagh's forehead and set his hand on his cheek, feeling that his temperature had suddenly dropped from blazing to normal temperature… maybe a little lower. He quickly covered his brother to try to stop his shivering, then said, "Hold on. I'll get another blanket for you."

Making sure that Murtagh was all right, Eragon quickly left the room to get another blanket. He sighed with worry. He could tell that the attacks were getting worse… Not knowing what else to do, he decided to reach out to someone he knew could help.

_Saphira?_he asked. _Can you hear me?_

_I can hear you, little one._ Saphira answered. _Arya and I are about half way to Ellesmera. How is Murtagh?_

_Not well._ Eragon told her. _His attacks are lasting longer than they were, and now they're leaving him cold. That's also never happened before. I need you to tell Arya this._

There was a silence as Saphira relayed his message to the elf. Eragon waited anxiously, wanting to hear what they had to say. Finally, Saphira's voice entered his mind again.

_Arya's worried about this news._the dragon said. _She says that she doesn't know how far these attacks are going to go, or what effects they will have on Murtagh, which is scaring her. She thinks that the best thing to do at this point would be for Thorn to take you and Murtagh to Ellesmera and meet us there._

_Okay. I'll tell them. _Eragon replied. _Thanks, Saphira._

_You're welcome, little one._

After grabbing what he needed, the young Rider headed back to the room where his brother was. When he entered, he found that Murtagh was sitting up in bed, wrapped in his blanket and reading the book that Eragon had been looking at during the night. The older Rider looked up when he heard the door open, and he gave a small smile to his brother.

"Interesting book." Murtagh commented as he set it aside. "Curses are a… _different_ sort of topic."

Eragon smiled, relieved to see that Murtagh seemed to be feeling better. Then, he set a heavy blanket and a tunic on the bed next to him. "Hurry and get this on."the Rider said, beginning to pack a few things into a bag. "Arya wants us to head to Ellesmera."

Xxxxxxxxxx

Galbatorix looked through an ancient book, sighing as he flipped through the pages. He was bored waiting for the Urgals to return with Murtagh, so he decided to think about what could be happening to his servant. A glowing scar was not normal, but he didn't know what could be happening to Murtagh.

Suddenly, the king paused when his eyes ran over the word "curse". As he read on, Galbatorix's face darkened. _Morzan…_ he thought. _What have you left behind on your son?_

At that moment, the door to the room opened and Galbatorix's head shot up. An Urgal entered, growling softly. "A blue dragon has been spotted by the troop."he repeated in his language. "It is ridden by an elf."

Even though it wasn't Murtagh they had discovered, Galbatorix grinned as an idea came to him. "It is not the one you are looking for," he replied, "but bring them to me alive."

Xxxxxxxxxx

Eragon continued to read as he and Murtagh flew over Alagaesia on Thorn's back, but not because he wanted to read for fun. An idea had been coming to him ever since he had first looked at Arya's book, and he wondered if someone could have possibly laid a curse of some kind on Murtagh's scar. It seemed probable, but he wasn't sure who could have the kind of power to accomplish it.

Murtagh sat in front of his brother with a heavy blanket over his shoulders, shielding him from the wind. He simply looked at the scenery beneath them, talking with Thorn through his mind every once in a while. He was very anxious to get to Ellesmera. _Then maybe these attacks will stop happening… _he thought dimly.

_Don't worry, Murtagh. _Thorn said, trying to cheer him up. _You'll get through this. We both will. Together._

A small smile appeared on Murtagh's face. _Thanks, Thorn._he replied. _Without you and Eragon to guide me through this, I probably wouldn't be sane right now._

Thorn growled softly in response.

Eragon suddenly shut the book and tapped his brother on the shoulder to get his attention. "Murtagh," he said, raising his voice to be heard over the wind, "do you think it's possible that the scar on your back holds a curse?"

Murtagh turned his head around to face him. "Curse?!" he asked, laughing a little. "When I said that the scar on my back is the curse that I must live with, Eragon, I was using the term figuratively…"

"I know." Eragon replied. "But don't you think that it's at least possible? Think about it. The attacks from your scar aren't normal."

Murtagh froze, beginning to consider his words. He did have a point…

Suddenly, Thorn swerved sharply, nearly causing Murtagh and Eragon to fall off his back. _Thorn, what do you think you're doing?!"_ Murtagh demanded as he regained his balance. _Can you at least warn us next time before you do that?!_

_I'm sorry, Murtagh. _Thorn told him. _But I didn't have time to warn you before that bird nearly hit us._

Murtagh couldn't help but laugh. _Thorn, it's just a bird_.he replied. _What possible harm could a bird do to a dragon?_

Thorn grunted. _It was you two that I was worried about._he muttered, disgruntled.

Eragon laughed a little as he saw what nearly hit them. A bird was nothing to worry about… Suddenly, he shut his eyes tightly when he felt a large amount of pain in his head.

Murtagh looked behind him again, instantly worried. "Eragon!" he shouted. "Eragon!"

Wincing, Eragon reached his mind out to his dragon. _Saphira?!_ he asked, alarmed. _What's wrong?!_

_Urgals._ Saphira answered intensely. _But there's only a small amount of them. We fear that there's a larger group heading toward you to capture Murtagh._

_We're on our way, Saphira._ Eragon told her. _Hold on._ He was confused when he felt sudden anger radiating from her.

_No!_ Saphira said intently. _Get Murtagh to Ellesmera. That's what's most important. Besides, they're probably after him. You can't put him in any more danger! Now, don't worry about us! We-!_

Her thoughts were suddenly cut off.

Eragon was horrified. _Saphira!_ he shouted. _Saphira! Are you all right?! Saphira!_

But it was useless. He didn't get an answer. Sighing, he looked up and found himself looking into the worried and confused eyes of his older brother. "What's wrong?" Murtagh asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Saphira and Arya have been ambushed by Urgals." Eragon answered hollowly. "But, she told me to continue on to Ellesmera…"

Murtagh gave him a warm smile. "Don't worry about me."he told him sincerely. "We can save Saphira and Arya first. I can wait."

Eragon looked at Murtagh with bewilderment. He knew that the older Rider was anxious to get to Ellesmera to try to get help for the scar on his back, but now he was saying that he didn't matter as much as Saphira and Arya…

Suddenly, Thorn swerved violently again. Murtagh clung on tightly, but Eragon felt his hands slip from the dragon's back. "Eragon!" Murtagh shouted from above, watching as his brother plummeted through the air.

Thorn glanced down at the younger Rider, moving his tail out and catching him before he fell too far. Then, he raised his tail, and Murtagh pulled Eragon up to safety. "Are you all right, Eragon?" he asked.

Eragon nodded, but he seemed to be shaken by his fall. Then, Murtagh turned his attention to his dragon. _What did I just ask you, Thorn?_he said. _Warn us before you do that!_

_And again, I am sorry, Murtagh,_ Thorn replied as he swerved sharply a second time, _but I don't think any of us want to be hit by arrows._

Murtagh looked down and saw that Urgals, a ton of them, were everywhere underneath them, shooting arrows at them. He recognized the type immediately. _Poison arrows… _he thought with dread. _Thorn, fly higher! You can't get hit with these!_

_My pleasure._ Thorn replied, flying higher into the sky. Murtagh looked back at Eragon. "These arrows are poisonous. Don't let them hit you." he said.

Eragon nodded and began to concentrate on his magic. "Brisingr!" **(fire!) **he yelled, sending blue flames down at the Urgals.

Murtagh tried the same, but a slight pain ran down his scar as he released the spell. "So… I can't use magic without pain…" he whispered to himself. "What use am I now?"

Eragon continued to send fiery attacks down on their attackers, but he was only concentrating on one side of Thorn. He had his back turned to the other side… but there were still a few Urgals there. One of them raised his bow and aimed at the young Rider, loosing an arrow.

This action did not go unnoticed.

"Eragon!" Murtagh shouted, quickly moving so that he was sitting against his back.

Hearing his brother, Eragon turned around to face him… and watched in horror as the arrow that was meant for him sunk deeply into Murtagh's shoulder.

**A/N**: I think this chapter is longer than some of my other ones… lol Anyway, yeah. This is the typical brother saves brother thing. But, I'm not just throwing it in there to torture Murtagh (or you guys, for that matter…), but him being poisoned is _very _important to the story. So, just keep hanging in there! Thanks for reading, guys! Oh, and in honor of Gloria Monday, January 10th is officially Official Torture Murtagh Day! Thanks a lot for all of the reviews! Later, guys!


	5. Fevered Visions

**Disclaimer**: Do I really need one anymore? Okay, please look at previous chapters if you need one. Even though I don't think people read stories just to look at the disclaimers… lol

**A/N**: Hey, guys! I'm sorry for the longish wait! I've been SO busy lately since we have a lot of projects to do for finals, and this was the first chance that I had to update since they have been taking up a lot of my time. Actually, I wrote this entire chapter this morning before I got on the computer! Thanks for being patient! I knew that I would get quite a reaction after chapter four, lol. But believe me. It wasn't a random plot bunny. Hopefully, this chapter will clear up why I did that. Will Murtagh be all right? I don't know! You'll have to read on! Though, he is my favorite character, so I'm not sure if I have the heart to kill him off… Oh well! You'll have to see! Oh, and before I forget… To those of you who just started reading Eragon fanfics or just joined the website, I'm honored that you like my story so much. I'm glad everyone likes it! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I now have 36! Thanks a bunch! Here's the next chapter.

Ch. 5: Fevered Visions

"Murtagh!" Eragon cried, placing his hands on his brother's shoulders. "Why would you…"

Grimacing, Murtagh pulled the arrow out of his shoulder and threw it toward the ground below. Then, he turned to Eragon. "You still have some things to learn about being in battle."he commented, his face pale. "You always have to know where your enemies are, and you can never… turn your back…" His sentence trailed off as he wavered slightly.

Eragon steadied him, horrified to see that his older brother's eyes were closed. "Murtagh!" he shouted, trying to wake him. "Murtagh!" But he got no response. Sighing with worry, Eragon laid Murtagh carefully against him since they were flying and there wasn't a proper bed that they could make.

Thorn suddenly let out an angry roar, sending a fiery attack down on the Urgals. Eragon cringed at the sudden loud noise. _Thorn, forget about them now._he thought to the infuriated dragon. _We need to get to safety as fast as possible._

_Hold on tightly then._ Thorn said, immediately picking up speed as he flew higher to avoid the Urgals. They could hear their angry roars behind them.

Eragon wrapped Murtagh up tightly in the blanket that they had brought, shielding him from the cold. _We'll get to Ellesmera in time._the young Rider told himself with determination. _I know we will._

Xxxxxxxxxx

Galbatorix smirked at the captives that the Urgals had brought before him. Saphira was chained against the cold stone wall so she couldn't escape, and Arya was in chains next to her. The elf glared back up at the king. "What do you want with us?" she demanded angrily.

Galbatorix laughed a little. "Don't worry, my dear. Neither one of you will be harmed… unless Murtagh does not cooperate."he replied. "You see, you are merely bait to lure him here. Since you are his friends, he will not hesitate to come and rescue you."

Arya was furious. "He'll know that it's a trap."she told him. "He won't come so easily without a plan of his own."

Again, Galbatorix laughed. "That's why you always have a back-up plan, elf."he said. "I've sent more Urgals out with orders to capture him, using poison arrows if necessary. They'll bring him to me, luring Eragon here as well, perhaps… When he recovers from the affects of the poison, Murtagh will then have the choice to save your lives by cooperating with me… or letting you die."

Saphira roared loudly at this. She didn't want either of the Riders harmed or in Galbatorix's hands. She also didn't want Arya's life to be in danger. The king looked at her with an amused smile. "We'll see how long it takes for a band of Urgals to bring two Riders and a dragon to me."he muttered, a hint of humor in his voice.

Then, an Urgal messenger who had been relaying messages between the troop of its kind and Galbatorix rushed in and hurried up to the king. "The Urgals poisoned Murtagh, but they weren't able to capture him."he whispered in the Urgal language. "They got away, Sir."

Galbatorix was about to unleash the fury he felt on the messenger, but he held it back. "They got away?" he said just as quietly so only the Urgal could hear him. "Well, one of them is poisoned so that should slow them down a little. Where could they be headed? Ellesmera I presume. They were probably going there to get help for Murtagh's scar… It's one of the few sanctuaries left that opposes me. Leave now. Bring the rest of the Urgals back so that we can regroup."

The Urgal nodded and hurriedly left the room. Galbatorix turned to Arya and Saphira. "Some complications have arisen."he told them. "I'm afraid you'll have to stay here for a little longer than I originally thought. But don't worry. You'll be able to live in time… maybe." Then, in a sort of afterthought, he said to Arya, "Oh, and tell the dragon that I put a spell on your chains to make them fire-proof. You cannot escape that way."

_How did he know what I was thinking?_ Saphira wondered angrily.

Smirking, Galbatorix then left the room. As he walked down the long hallway, he reached out to his dragon. _Shruikan, it's time._he told him. _You know what to do._

From a distance away, the king heard a low growl echo in his mind as a deep voice said, _Yes, Sir._

Xxxxxxxxxx

He saw nothing but blackness, feeling a burning in his forehead and the pain of the poison spreading through him. He was alone as he could tell as he looked around for a sign of anyone.

_Eragon? Thorn! _Murtagh thought desperately.

Then, from a distance, he thought that he heard the voice of his dragon. _Murtagh…_ Thorn replied. _It's all right. I'm here. Eragon and I both are. You are not alone._

Murtagh looked around, trying to find where the dragon's voice was coming from so he could follow it and find its owner. _Thorn!_he cried. _Thorn!_

Suddenly, he gasped as a pair of glowing red eyes appeared out of the dark. "Murtagh…" an unseen man said with a dark laugh, reaching out a hand toward the Rider that was made of the darkness itself. "Murtagh…" Then, the hand lurched forward and clamped around Murtagh's neck, beginning to strangle him. "I'm coming!

Xxxxxxxxxx

Eragon jerked out of his drowsiness when he felt Murtagh beginning to stir in his arms, and he looked down on his brother. The older Rider was beginning to mutter incoherently in his fevered sleep, but Eragon could tell that he was frightened of something. He placed his hand on Murtagh's head and muttered something in the Ancient Language, transferring a cool wave onto his burning forehead in hopes that the action would calm him down somewhat.

But Murtagh's muttering soon became more frantic, and finally he shouted, "No!"

Anxious, Eragon looked ahead at the dragon they were riding. "Thorn!" he said. "I don't know what to do!"

_It's all right, Eragon._ Thorn replied, though he also sounded anxious. _He's been calling out my name through his mind for a little while now. I'm going to try speaking to him again._

Eragon looked around them at the cold night air as Thorn talked to his brother, feeling that Murtagh was beginning to calm down slightly. He knew that they had to land soon, even if it was before they reached Ellesmera. He wasn't quite sure where they were, and the elf haven could be too far away…

Then, Eragon gasped in surprise when he noticed that Murtagh was lying still again. "Good work, Thorn."he muttered, giving a relieved smile to the back of the dragon's head. "Was he just having a nightmare or something?"

The dragon sighed. _I'm not sure._ Thorn replied. _He wouldn't let me into his mind to see what was troubling him so much. I could only speak to him, and he wouldn't tell me what was wrong. So, I can only assume that was what the problem was._

Eragon thought about the situation for a moment before he voiced his thoughts. "Thorn, I think we should land now."he finally said. "There might be a small town nearby where they could tend to Murtagh, or at least get the poison out of him. I don't know how long he's going to last, and Ellesmera could be too far off."

Thorn seemed to smile. _I don't think any of that will be necessary._he replied. _Look ahead._

Eragon did what the dragon said, and he gasped when he saw a glimmer of hope in the night. He recognized the scenery now. Finally, something was going right for them. They were nearing Ellesmera.

**A/N**: Okay, hopefully you saw why I did what I did in chapter four. Also, I hope you liked this one. Something's finally going right! But I'm not quite sure how long it will stay that way… We'll have to see. First off, I have to look up some spellings of names for the next chapter… Anyway, I'm sorry for the long update this time. Hopefully, I can update sooner this time. Until then, later!


	6. Soldiers of Shadow

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of Paolini's characters. I'm borrowing them!

**A/N**: I'm sorry for such the long wait again, guys! Finals time is really busy, so this is the first chance I had to update! I hope this makes up for it though, because this chapter is pretty long… lol. Now, the plot bunnies are coming. I threw in like three OC's, and some more characters from Eldest! Anyway, hope you enjoy it!

Ch. 6: Soldiers of Shadow

As soon as Thorn was able to land, Eragon immediately jumped off and gently lifted Murtagh down. They were as close to the elven haven as they could get, already in the forest almost all the way downriver.

"Good work, Thorn." Eragon said, looking up at the large, red dragon. "Saphira couldn't even get us this close."

_It's an emergency._ Thorn stated, looking down on Murtagh. _Normally, I wouldn't fly us this close to Ellesmera since the elves do not approve and we need a guide, but I think they can let it slide this once._

Eragon nodded. "How long do we have, Thorn?" he asked quietly. "How long do we have until the poison takes complete control and…" He couldn't finish his question.

Thorn sighed, understanding what Eragon was getting at. _That kind of poison lasts for twenty-four hours before it kills its victim._he answered. _We have until the afternoon. It will be sunrise soon, so we have to hurry._

"Let's get going then." Eragon said, placing Murtagh on his back to carry him. "Time is against us." As they trekked ahead through the forest, Eragon began to feel edgy. He wasn't used to Thorn quite yet, and he was worried about Saphira and Arya. He could only hope that they were all right.

Soon, Murtagh became to heavy for him to carry as the sun began to rise, and the younger Rider had to place him gently on Thorn's back to keep going. He remembered that the last time he had been to Ellesmera, it had been much easier to get to. He wished that they could have at least one guide this time too…

Suddenly, he could sense Thorn's wariness as the forest went silent around them. "What's wrong, Thorn?" Eragon asked, looking up at the red dragon.

_It's too quiet._ Thorn answered, looking around suspiciously. _I think we might-!_

His sentence was cut off when Eragon accidentally stepped on a fallen branch, loudly snapping it in half. Suddenly, elves appeared out of the shadows of the trees, all aiming bows and arrows directly at them. Thorn growled angrily, looking at all of them as he tried to keep Murtagh away from the arrow points. Eragon raised his arms to show that he wasn't holding a weapon, trying to show that he meant no harm to these elves. As he continued to look at their fair faces, he was startled to see that he didn't recognize any of them… and they surely didn't recognize him.

Then, an elf that didn't look to be much older than him, though he knew looks could be deceiving with elves, stepped forward and gave them a look that Eragon did not like. "My name is Seira, captain of these elves."she said, studying the younger Rider carefully. "Who are you, and what brings you to Ellesmera?"

Before Eragon could answer her, her eyes flared angrily when they landed on Thorn and the unconscious Murtagh. "You bring Murtagh, son of Morzan of the Forsworn?! The traitor?!" Seira demanded, pure hatred in her clear voice. Then, she turned to the elves nearest her. "Kill the older Rider and his dragon."she ordered, and the soldiers raised their bows, taking careful aim.

Thorn roared angrily as he looked back at all of the elves, almost daring them to try to kill Murtagh. But the elves did not back down. Eragon stepped in front of the dragon quickly, trying to get the elves to lower their weapons. "Please, you have to listen to me!" he said desperately. "We're here-!"

"We'll kill you too if we have to!" Seira snapped, turning to the soldiers with her. "On my word. One… two… thr-!"

The captain was interrupted by another voice coming up behind her. "Seira, what is going on?" an elf asked as he and two others appeared next to her.

Relief flooded through Eragon when he saw who had arrived. "Lifaen! Nari! Vanir!" he exclaimed, relieved to see some faces he knew. "Am I ever glad to see you three!"

Nari, the one who had spoken, turned to look at Eragon and immediately gave the respective greeting. "Eragon Shadeslayer. It is good to see you in Ellesmera again."he said. Then, he turned to the elven soldiers. "Lower your weapons and return to the city."he commanded. "Seira will join you there."

Surprisingly, they all listened without complaint as they seemed to dematerialize back into the shadows. Seira lingered behind and stood in front of Nari, bowing to him in deep respect. "Forgive me, Cousin."she muttered to him in the Ancient Language. "I did not realize who he was."

Nari smiled down on her and placed his hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up into his eyes. "It is all right."he told her as Lifaen and Vanir nodded their agreement. "You are young yet, and you still have much to learn. But I am not the one you must apologize to."

Seira stiffened when she heard this then slowly turned to face Eragon. She stood before him and bowed to him. "Please accept my humblest apologies for my earlier actions, Eagon Shadeslayer."she said, not being able to meet his eyes. "I just did not understand why you brought _him_ with you."

"Apologies accepted." Eragon replied, watching as the other three elves looked at Thorn and Murtagh. "I brought Murtagh here because he needs help. An Urgal arrow has poisoned him. We only have a few hours until it kills him."

Nari's expression hardened. "Then we will give it."he told the Rider. "Lifaen, go ahead of us and tell the healers. We have to hurry if we want to save him. Seira will go with you."

Lifaen nodded and disappeared into the trees. Seira began to follow, but stopped before Vanir and hugged him tightly before she left. Eragon found this strange, but he found himself also feeling kind of glad that she left… and relieved that Nari and Vanir were still there.

Once they were gone, Nari began to approach Murtagh, but Thorn growled angrily, keeping the elf at bay. Eragon turned to look at the dragon. "It's all right, Thorn."he said. "Nari's a friend."

Thorn trusted Eragon, but he still looked skeptically at Nari as he approached Murtagh and checked on his condition. Murtagh seemed to cringe when he felt the elf's hand rest on his burning forehead, and he stirred slightly in his fevered sleep. "He's worse than I thought." Nari whispered, mainly to himself. Then, he turned to everyone who was with him. "We must hurry."he said. "Even though our destination is right through these trees, I am not sure how long it will take to draw the poison out of him. Come." Nari then nodded to Eragon and quickly vanished into the trees.

Vanir and Eragon walked next to each other with Thorn behind them, all moving quickly to reach Ellesmera as soon as possible. "How are you, Eragon?" Vanir asked, quickly giving the respective greeting as they ran after Nari. "It has been a while. I only hope that my wife didn't treat you too badly."

Eragon was shocked. "Wife?" he asked, returning the greeting. "You're married to Seira?! When did this happen?"

"A small time after you left Ellesmera." Vanir answered. "I admit, she has a flame in her, but that is tamed down once she gets to know you. Now, Nari and I are distantly related."

Relief came over Eragon when he saw the city of Ellesmera appear ahead of them. Thorn looked around warily when he saw all of the strange looks that he was getting from the elves. "Ignore them." Nari murmured to Eragon. "I am sure that they are wary because you brought Thorn and Murtagh with you, but I'm sure that if they're with you, they mean no harm to us."

"Galbatorix has both of them under his control against their will. He knows their true names, so they have no choice but to obey him." Eragon said angrily. "I _know_ that Murtagh doesn't want this, and he wants to help our side against Galbatorix. I will do everything in my power to help him and to break the vows the he was forced to make."

Vanir smiled smugly from beside him. "Those are brave words, Eragon Shadeslayer, but that will be harder than you think. No one has ever broken their oaths to Galbatorix."he replied. "Still, you are a friend and ally to us, so we will do everything that we can to help you." Nari nodded his agreement from ahead of them.

Despite his intense worry for his brother, Eragon smiled. "Thanks, you guys."he said. "You're the best."

When they finally reached the building where the healers were, Thorn was reluctant to let the elves take Murtagh inside alone. But Eragon was glad that Lifaen was among them, and they both convinced the red dragon that they would take great care of him, and they told him that he could stay right outside of the building near the window of the room where Murtagh was going to be, which was on the third floor. Once he saw that the Rider was in good hands, Nari left to go find his younger cousin, Seira.

Eragon then rushed to Lifaen. "May I go with him?" he asked. "Please, he's my brother!"

Lifaen sighed as he looked at the younger Rider. "That might not be the best idea, Eragon."he answered. "I would prefer if you stayed out here until we are sure that all of the poison is out of him. I will be with him the entire time, and I will come and get you after that. Then, you may see him."

Eragon nodded reluctantly as Lifaen entered the building and closed the door behind him, leaving him and Vanir alone. The Rider sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. He wished that he could have been with the healers so he could tell them about the scar on Murtagh's back… and the curse that could have been in it.

Vanir looked at him sadly and placed his hand on his shoulder. "If your brother is anything like you, then I'm sure he'll be just fine."he said when Eragon looked up at him, giving the Rider a kind, reassuring smile. "Believe me."

"Thank you, Vanir." Eragon muttered, returning the smile. Then, he glanced down at the sword he had brought with him that was hanging at his side. "Vanir, do you want to have a sparring session like we used to?" he asked. "I want to do something to keep my mind off my worry for Murtagh, and I think that will be the best way."

"Not a problem." Vanir answered, smirking as he pulled out his sword. "Do you miss getting beaten?"

Eragon smirked as well. "Don't forget that I defeated you after the Blood-Oath Celebration."he replied, pulling out the sword that Orik had given him after Murtagh had taken Zar'roc.

Vanir's eyes narrowed when he saw the weapon in his opponent's hand. "Didn't you have a different sword last time?" he asked. "I thought your blade was red."

"It's Murtagh's sword now." Eragon answered softly. "It belongs to him." The Rider sighed as he thought about his brother.

Suddenly, Vanir lunged forward, trying to get Eragon's mind on to the fight. Eragon looked up and gasped, barely having enough time to block the blow. Then, the excitement of the fight came over him, and the two friends were jumping everywhere, exchanging blows with each other. Vanir smiled to himself as he blocked a blow from the Rider. This was the Eragon that he remembered.

Suddenly, Eragon gasped when two elves caught his eye. They were twins, one male and one female, both under the shade of a nearby tree. The girl was sitting against the tree trunk while her brother stood next to her. Their black hair tumbled down to the small of their backs, their dark eyes only on Eragon.

"Vanir, who are they?" Eragon asked quietly, hoping that these strange elves couldn't hear him.

The elf quickly glanced back, immediately seeing whom Eragon was inquiring about. "Those twins showed up here about a week ago, and no one is sure who they are or where they're from." Vanir answered. "All I know is that their names are Aie and Aianna."

Eragon looked at where the twins had been, but he was startled to see that they weren't there anymore. As he continued to spar with Vanir, he couldn't help but think that something was wrong about those two elves… their dark eyes still haunting him.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Vanir sighed as he walked down the empty path, looking up at the moon that hung over Ellesmera. He and Eragon had been at his home when Lifaen had come with the report that they had been able to save Murtagh in time and that he was now recovering, but the young Rider had been sleeping so soundly that he decided that he would visit Murtagh now and let Eragon do so in the morning.

When Vanir approached the building where Murtagh was, he gasped and stopped in surprise. He could sense that something was wrong inside.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Murtagh stirred a little and opened his eyes. Taking a sigh of relief to feel that the poison was no longer coursing through him, he slowly sat up and saw that his shoulder was wrapped. But where was he? Where were Thorn and Eragon? As he continued to look around, Murtagh found it slightly comforting to see that Zar'roc was sitting on an end table at the foot of his bed. At least he could reach it if necessary.

Suddenly, he gasped when he heard a noise come from somewhere in the dark room. It almost sounded like a footstep… His dark eyes then shot upward, and he saw a figure leaping down toward him, a dagger in their hand. Thinking quickly, Murtagh rolled off the bed and watched as whoever had tried to attack him landed on the bed. Then, he got to his feet to try to grab his sword.

Before he could reach it, another person leapt out from behind the table and lunged their foot out, knocking the wind out at Murtagh as he hit the wooden floor. The two figures stood over him, watching as he struggled. Finally, Murtagh's vision cleared and he was able to see who had attacked him.

They were twin elves, one girl and one boy by the look of it, their hair and eyes as dark as the shadows themselves. The girl held the dagger in her hand, and she aimed the weapon at the Rider.

Murtagh gathered up the energy he needed and raised his arm. "Brisingr!" **(fire!)** he shouted, sending red flames at her and knocking the dagger out of her hand. Suddenly, he cried out and closed his eyes as a wave of pain coursed through the scar on his back, causing him to lie back on the floor. He hated not being able to use magic without this harmful consequence.

The male elf turned to his twin. "Are you all right, Aianna?" he asked. "That looks like a nasty burn.

"I'm fine, Aie." Aianna answered, but she was still holding her hand. "He looks like he's in worse shape, so he should be easy to take."

Murtagh looked up at them in confusion. What were they talking about? Take him where?

Then, the twin named Aie bent down and roughly grabbed Murtagh by the arms and pulled him to his feet. The Rider bit back another cry as the sudden motion hurt both his injured shoulder and his scar. "You're right." Aie commented, looking into Murtagh's pale face. "He doesn't even have the strength to resist. This should be easier than we thought."

Aianna nodded her agreement as she healed the burn on her hand and picked up her dagger. "At least this won't be hard like our last mission."she muttered, twirling the weapon in her fingers. "How long do you think it will take for our transport to arrive?"

"Not sure." Aie told her, standing near the window so he could watch the sky. "Probably not long. He left early this afternoon." 

Murtagh listened to the elves talk, angered by his helplessness. He still wasn't sure where Thorn was, but he knew that the dragon would be able to do something. _Thorn…_ he thought. _Where are you? Help… me…_

"He'd better be here soon." Aianna said. "I want to leave this place as soon as possible." Suddenly, she whirled around and threw her dagger at the door as it quickly opened. But whoever had entered was quicker. They quickly dodged the weapon and darted to where the twins and Murtagh were, and Aianna soon found a sword point on her neck as she looked into the fair face of an elf.

"Whom are you working for?" Vanir demanded softly, glaring at the female twin.

But Aianna only smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she taunted.

Vanir pushed his sword a hair's breadth harder against her neck, and her breath came in a startled gasp.

Angrily, Aie took out a dagger of his own and put it to Murtagh's throat. "If you harm her in any way, I'll kill him!" he said in a threatening way, his voice anxious as he tightened his hand around the hilt.

Vanir looked at him with only his eyes, but then his gaze traveled back to the girl he held captive. "If you harm him, then I'll kill your sister."he muttered, darkly but calmly.

Aie looked at the sword in Vanir's hand nervously, knowing he was trapped as he turned to look out the window. Where was he? What was taking him so long?

Vanir took this as his chance. He reached forward with his free arm and forced the dagger out of Aie's hand since they were shorter than an arm's length apart, and pulled Murtagh away from him while he pushed Ainna toward her twin. Then, he aimed his sword at both of them and trapped them by the window, weaponless, as he stood protectively in front of the Rider.

"Thank you." Murtagh muttered, leaning against the dresser in the room as his strength gradually began to return.

Vanir glanced back at him. "It was my pleasure."he replied, keeping his eyes on the twins again. "I am a friend of Eragon."

Murtagh smiled. If this was Eragon's friend… Suddenly, he gasped when he heard his dragon's voice in his mind.

_Murtagh, I'm right outside of the window of the room you're in._ Thorn told him. _Jump out, and I'll catch all four of you. Then, we can question these elves thoroughly._

_Thanks, Thorn._ Murtagh said gratefully. Then, he whispered what the dragon had said to Vanir, to which he responded, "Grab your sword." Murtagh rushed to the end table and hurriedly tied Zar'roc to his waist, signaling to the elf that he was ready. Then, very suddenly and without warning, Vanir charged at Aie and Aianna, who cried out in surprise when he pushed them out of the three-story window. He and Murtagh then jumped out after them.

Murtagh was relieved when they landed on Thorn, and when he saw that the dragon had already trapped the twins underneath his tail. Vanir immediately jumped off the dragon's back and walked over to the twins, aiming his sword at them.

"I'm going to ask you again. Whom are you working for?!" the elf shouted angrily, his eyes flaring. Thorn moved his head near the elf, his angry eyes on them.

Aie and Aianna looked terrified as they looked back at the warrior and dragon. They didn't want to reveal that information, but they didn't want to die either.

Before Vanir could say another word, a loud roar echoed around them. Murtagh looked up toward the inky sky, and cried out in surprise and horror when he saw a large, black form flying toward them.

It was Shruikan.

**A/N**: Since something was actually going right in the last chapter, how many of you knew that something was going to go wrong in this chapter? Lol. Thanks for your patience! I hope you liked this chapter, even though it was long! Thanks for reading!


	7. A Message Delivered

**Disclaimer**: I still own nothing from Eragon. My name is nothing close to Christopher Paolini. Though, one of my friends introduced me to his mom once and he said, "You're looking at the next Christopher Paolini." Anyway, I'm truly not him (since I am a girl) and I don't own Murtagh (darn it!), Eragon, Thorn, or anyone. But the twins and Seira are mine!

**A/N**: Hey! Thanks for all the reviews! I now have 56 thanks to you guys! How cool would it be to have like 100? I was just thinking about that the other day… Anyway, I was able to update so soon because of finals, and I had a lot of free time in school today… especially in English when all we did was watch the movie Oedipus the King (kinda boring…). So, here's chapter seven (my favorite number!). Hope you enjoy!

Ch. 7: A Message Delivered

Thorn roared angrily, quickly tossing Murtagh off his back. _Stay down!_he commanded as the Rider hit the ground. _Get out if you can!_

_I'm not leaving you, Thorn. _Murtagh replied, placing his hand on Zar'roc's hilt.

The dragon sighed and turned to his Rider. _I'll be fine, Murtagh._ Thorn said. _I can hold my own against a dragon. You might not be able to, especially since you can't use magic without harming yourself. Please, listen to me this once. Run!_

Murtagh looked up at his dragon, worried about him. He didn't want to leave Thorn behind… Vanir, knowing that he couldn't learn anything from the twins now, backed away from them and ran over to Murtagh. "Come on!" he said anxiously, pulling him to his feet. "I'm not sure what Shruikan is doing in Ellesmera, but there's nothing we can do! Thorn will have to handle him on his own!"

_Of _course_ I'm in Ellesmera. _Murtagh thought as he reluctantly ran after the elf. Then, he looked behind him. _Thorn… please be careful._

_Don't worry about me, Murtagh. _Thorn said reassuringly as Vanir and Murtagh disappeared into the shadows of an alley. The dragon reluctantly moved his tail off of the twins so he could fully move out of the way of the larger dragon when he landed on the ground. Aianna screamed, covering her head as she was nearly crushed by his foot.

"It's about time, Shruikan." Aie said, looking up at his black form as he helped his twin to her feet. "If you would have gotten here sooner, we could have had Murtagh and been out of here by now."

_You're telling me that you failed to capture him? _Shruikan asked, looking down on the two elves. When they failed to meet his eyes, the dragon seemed to grin. _No matter._he said, moving his eyes to the spot where he knew that Murtagh and Vanir were hiding. _There are other easier ways to bring him to Galbatorix._

Thorn suddenly roared in anger and stood in front of the alley, protecting Murtagh and Vanir. _You'll have to kill me before Galbatorix even _thinks_ of laying a hand on Murtagh._he muttered fiercely.

Shruikan seemed to smirk at his words. _Brave words, Thorn, but that is also an easy task._he replied, much to the other dragon's anger.

_Please, Shruikan. You weren't always like this! _Thorn shouted desperately. _Galbatorix stole you and twisted your mind so you would do his will! You can fight it! There must be a way!_

_That might have been the way I once was, but this is who I am now. _Shruikan told him, throwing his tail out at the other dragon. Thorn grunted as the heavy tail hit him, then roared when Shruikan stepped on his neck to hold him down, but not hard enough to keep him from breathing.

"Thorn!" Murtagh shouted, preparing to run to his dragon. But before he could get too far, Vanir grabbed his arm and held him back.

"Do you want to get yourself killed?!" the elf snapped, looking into the Rider's furious face. "Shruikan will kill you if you go out there!" He did not expect the answer he received.

"Shruikan already knows we're here." Murtagh told him, ferocity in his voice. "Besides, he wants to take me to Galbatorix alive, not dead. I don't care what I have to do. I'm not going to let my dragon die!" Then, he wrenched his arm away from the elf and ran out of the darkness of the alley.

Shruikan watched as Murtagh ran out of the safety of the shadows and knelt down by his dragon's head. _Murtagh, what are you doing?_ Thorn demanded angrily, snapping at his Rider's hand as it reached toward him to prove his point. _You shouldn't have come out into the open!_

Murtagh quickly pulled his arm back to avoid the dragon's sharp teeth, feeling the other dragon's eyes on him amusingly. _I'm not going to stand by and watch you get hurt, Thorn._he said, getting to his feet. _I _can't_ do that! After I was captured and brought to Uru'baen, I felt helpless as Galbatorix tortured me and told me that I would serve him if I wanted to or not. But when you hatched for me and became my dragon, you became the first one who didn't want the chance to kill me if they could, the first person to accept me for who I was. You showed me undying loyalty and friendship since that day, and I'm not going to let that go._

Thorn looked up at him, both moved and horrified by his words. _Murtagh, what are you going to do?_he asked anxiously. _You had better not use magic-!_

But he was too late.

"Brisingr!" **(fire!)** Murtagh shouted, sending red flames up at the large dragon. Shruikan roared loudly in surprise and pain as the fire engulfed his upper neck, and he stepped off of Thorn.

Murtagh was satisfied by this result, but then he dropped to his knees as the familiar pain coursed through his scar. _Murtagh!_ Thorn exclaimed, moving his head near to his struggling Rider. _I told you not to use magic to help me. I _knew _this would happen!_

Holding back a pained cry, Murtagh looked at Thorn and gave him a small smile. _It was a sacrifice I was willing to make._he said. _You've made… so many for me. _Thorn was shocked by his words.

Suddenly, Shruikan threw his tail out again, forcing Thorn away from the human. Then, the large dragon put his head near to Murtagh as the boy looked back at the red dragon. _Galbatorix wanted me to tell you this._he told him. _Saphira and Arya are his captives, and they will die if you don't cooperate and don't come back. The choice is yours. _Then, in a sort of afterthought, he said, _Oh. He also wanted me to give you this message. _He placed his head against the Rider's.

Murtagh immediately cried out when an image came to his mind. Two glowing red eyes appeared out of the darkness, looking directly at him. Then, he heard a voice come out of the shadows as well… a voice that haunted him. _"I'm coming!"_

_Keep that in mind._ Shruikan said, moving his head away. Without the large dragon's head to support him, Murtagh collapsed to the ground.

_Murtagh!_ Thorn cried, quickly moving over to him. Then, he covered him protectively with his wing as he glared up at the other dragon.

Shruikan didn't even seem to notice. Instead, he got as close to the ground as he could so Aie and Aianna could climb on. "You're not going to take Murtagh now?" Aie asked, looking into the dragon's face.

_No._ Shruikan answered, spreading his wings and taking flight. _He knows what the right thing to do is._ Then, the three servants of Galbatorix were gone.

After Shruikan left, Vanir rushed out of the alley and knelt down next to the unconscious Murtagh. "We can bring him to my home to recover."he told Thorn. "Eragon is there also."

_All right, but we must hurry. _Thorn replied, helping Vanir to lift Murtagh on to his back. _Eragon must know what has happened here._

Xxxxxxxxxx

Eragon slowly opened his eyes when he felt the first morning rays fall across his face. For the first time in a couple of days, he felt like he had gotten a complete rest. Suddenly, a horrified thought crossed his mind, and he sat straight up.

_Murtagh!_

Was he even alive? Lifaen had never come to get him! He quickly jumped out of bed and threw on a fresh shirt before he hurried out of the room and ran down the stairs. Seira looked up from the fruit she was cutting when he approached her. "Do you have any news on how Murtagh is?" he asked anxiously, not giving her the chance to answer. "Is he all right? Did Lifaen say anything? Was he here? What happened?"

"Eragon, hold on. Slow down." Seira finally was able to say, cutting him off from any more questions. "Everything's fine. Your brother is alive. He's in the living room right now if you want to see for yourself."

Hearing her words, Eragon rushed into the next room and saw that Murtagh was sleeping peacefully on the couch. Relieved to see that he was all right, the Rider walked back into the kitchen. "Why didn't you or Vanir tell me that he was all right?" he wondered.

Seira sighed and set the knife down. "My, you are full of questions, Eragon Shadeslayer."she replied, laughter echoing in her voice. "When you and Vanir came here yesterday, you immediately fell asleep when he showed you to your room. They worked on your brother all afternoon, making sure that Galbatorix didn't do anything else to him. They found nothing, but it was night when Lifaen came with the message. You were still sleeping, so Vanir when to check on him then so you could this morning." She stopped for a moment, a shadow crossing her face. "Something happened last night, but I am not sure exactly what."she murmured. "Vanir came home with Thorn, and they were carrying your brother. He was unconscious. Vanir stayed for only a brief time, then he left with Thorn to head to the palace. He said very little, but what I did get out of his words was that there was an attack on Murtagh last night. He didn't tell me who or why. He just told me that something happened. Both him and Thorn haven't returned yet."

Eragon was horrified. Someone had attacked Murtagh? Who could have?

Then, his memory of the two dark-haired, dark-eyed twins resurfaced in his mind. Had they been the ones who attacked his brother?

Suddenly, the Rider jumped slightly when he heard footsteps approach. "Could you possibly be any louder, Eragon?" Murtagh asked as he entered the kitchen. "I could hear you as clear as day…"

"Murtagh, are you all right?" Eragon asked, cutting him off as anxiety rushed through him.

Murtagh looked back at him curiously for a moment, then smiled slightly. "Of course I'm all right."he answered, laughing a little. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Eragon sighed, annoyed that the older Rider was brushing off the question so easily. "Seira told me that you were attacked last night."he told his brother. "Is that true?"

"Look, Eragon. I'm fine." Murtagh replied, looking annoyed as well. "Something did happen last night, but I'm alive, all right? That's all you really need to know right now."

"How can you say that?!" Eragon demanded angrily. "You're my brother, and I want to know who attacked you and why!"

"I thought the reason would be obvious." Murtagh snapped. "Galbatorix is angry at me for leaving, so he's trying to get me back by force. It's as simple as that!"

Eragon didn't know why Murtagh didn't want to tell him anything. Didn't he trust him after all they had been through? "Yes, but who-!" he began, but was cut off by the loud sound of Seira slamming the blade of the knife into the wood of the counter.

"Enough!" the captain shouted, looking from one Rider to the other. "I've had it with you shouting at each other! Eragon, if Murtagh does not feel comfortable talking about what happened right now, don't force him. And, Murtagh, don't snap back at Eragon. He's only trying to help you because he cares about you. Now, you both have a similar goal: keep Murtagh away from Galbatorix. We can't have you two fighting now. You need to work together to accomplish this goal. All right?"

Eragon met Murtagh's hard gaze, determined not to apologize if he didn't. Then, Murtagh sighed and looked away. "I'm sorry, Eragon."he told his younger brother. "I've been under a lot of stress lately. With everything that's been going on… it's just been hard. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"It's all right." Eragon replied. "I'm just concerned about you because I promised myself that I wouldn't let Galbatorix lay a hand on you. You're my brother. I don't want you to get hurt."

Murtah smiled. "I know."he said. "Thanks for everything you've done for me and Thorn, Eragon."

Seira sighed with relief. At least _that_ was over… Before any of them could say another word, the door suddenly opened and Vanir entered, looking strained and rushed. "Eragon. Murtagh."he said, stopping by the counter to give his wife a quick hug. "You both need to come quickly. Queen Islanzadi wants to see you… immediately."

**A/N**: Well, we knew it had to happen sooner or later. Murtagh had to snap at least once, right? I mean with all that's been happening to him, it's understandable. I love the part between Murtagh and Thorn toward the beginning. Anyway, thanks for reading. I'm just warning you all that it might be a longer time before I update the next chapter. You never know with finals! I hope it's soon, though. Thanks again!


	8. Murtagh's Decision

Disclaimer: Nothing from Eragon/Eldest is mine since I am not Christopher Paolini (or Mrs. Paolini for that matter, lol).

A/N: Hey! Wow. Finals are REALLY working to my advantage this year! I can write a lot more now! I'm just happy that I can update so soon! Thank you for all of the reviews! I appreciate them all! I'm just happy that you guys like this story! All of these reviews brighten my day! Also, I'm listening to a few songs from the Eragon soundtrack right now on my iPod, which is relieving some stress from finals and getting me in the Eragon frame of mind. I think Battle for Varden is on right now… Okay, on with the next chapter.

Ch. 8: Murtagh's Decision 

After Eragon and Murtagh quickly freshened up, they thanked Seira for her hospitality and headed toward the palace with Vanir. "Where's Thorn?" Murtagh wondered, hoping that nothing had happened to the dragon while he had been unconscious.

"He is still at the palace with our queen." Vanir told him with a faint smile. "Don't worry. He's fine."

Murtagh nodded at him, relieved. At least Shruikan hadn't harmed him when he had the chance… "Out of the two of you, I think Queen Islanzadi will want to speak with you more, Murtagh." Vanir commented, looking back at the dark-eyed Rider. "She's worried about last night.

"I understand." Murtagh replied, looking away from Eragon's wondering gaze. "I would be too if I was in her place."

They walked in silence from that point on, for Vanir could sense that there was slight tension between the two brothers. Soon, the three of them reached the palace, and they quickly entered the large building. They were soon met with Queen Islanzadi, and they gave the respective greeting. Eragon wondered how Murtagh knew it, but he figured that he just picked up on it as they did it.

Islanzadi returned the gesture in the appropriate way, moving her gaze from Eragon to Murtagh. "Thank you, Vanir."she told him in her commanding voice. "You may leave now, and stay with the dragon."

Vanir bowed and left the spacious room, not saying a word. Murtagh looked after him, wanting to check on Thorn as well. But then, he turned his attention back to the queen.

"I want to start by saying that I welcome both of you to Ellesmera." Islanzadi said. "I'm sorry that you're here for such a grim reason, but I am relieved that our healers were able to save you in time, Murtagh."

Murtagh bowed to her. "Thank you for your help, Queen Islanzadi."he replied. "My life is indebted to you." Eragon glanced at him. 

Islanzadi returned the nod. "It was our pleasure and our honor."she told him. "I am glad that the poison no longer ails you, but I am concerned about something strange that Vanir told me about the attack last night. He said that you couldn't use your magic without harming yourself. More specifically, your back." 

Sighing, Murtagh fully looked up at her. "There is a scar on my back that my late father left on me when I was three years of age."he said. "For the past few nights, I've been having attacks where it's been hurting. That's what happened last night when I tried to help Thorn."

Eragon was startled. Murtagh had a pain attack as well? What had happened?

"Let me see your scar." Islanzadi muttered. "Maybe I can find the cause of your pain."

Murtagh flushed with embarrassment as he approached the queen and turned around, lifting his tunic to reveal the scar that ran along his back. Islanzadi touched the wound gently with a fingertip, and the Rider cringed when he felt a sudden warm energy run along his back. As she continued to inspect him, Eragon walked up to his brother.

"What happened last night?" he asked. "Please, tell me!"

Murtagh sighed and looked at the younger Rider. "All right! Just stop asking me!" he answered, a tad annoyed. "Last night, twin elves named Aie and Aianna came into my room and tried to take me back to Galbatorix. Okay?" 

"Where are they now?" Eragon wondered, relieved to finally be getting somewhere. He knew when he first laid eyes on them that something was wrong about the twin elves…

"Probably back in Uru'baen by now." Murtagh told him. "Shruikan came and took them. He originally came to bring me back to Galbatorix, but then he had a message delivered to me instead."

"What mes-!" Eragon began to ask, horrified by the appearance of Shruikan, but he was cut off by a wave of the queen's hand.

"Dark magic is inside this scar, but I can't tell from who or where this came from." Islanzadi said, looking confused as Murtagh pulled his tunic back down and turned to face her. "But I did find a memory of the mental message that Shruikan gave you, which I am both confused and concerned about."

Murtagh inwardly flinched when he heard this. He remembered the glowing red eyes, the haunting voice… Who was he supposed to be? "I fear that your life may be in grave danger, Murtagh." Islanzadi continued. "It may be best now to stay in Ellesmera with someone staying with you at all times in case something like last night happens again. This will also give us a chance to try to see what is happening to your scar. Am I clear?" 

"Yes, Queen Islanzadi." Murtagh replied, bowing to her again. "I thank you for your help."

Islanzadi nodded. "Now, on to another matter."she said, moving her gaze to the other Rider. "Eragon, I was sure that my daughter would accompany you. Where is she?"

Eragon sighed, remembering what had happened on the way to Ellesmera. "She and Saphira were ambushed and captured by Urgals."he told her. "I wanted to get Murtagh here first because of the poison, and then I was planning to head to Uru'baen once I was sure that he was all right."

"Are you telling me that you are going to go to Uru'baen, the fortress of Galbatorix, on your own?" Islanzadi asked, shocked. "That's insane, even for you!"

"I can do this. It's the only way I can." Eragon answered, glancing at Murtagh. "I don't think there is anyone who should accompany me."

Murtagh's eyes darkened as he looked back at his brother. He knew something that Eragon didn't, something about himself that was important, but he didn't want to mention it in front of the queen. She was working hard to ensure that he didn't get anywhere near Galbatorix… 

Eragon saw the harsh look, but he had been expecting it and he didn't back down. He saw that Murtagh knew he was talking about him, but he hoped that the older Rider understood the meaning behind his words. If Murtagh went along, that would only put him in danger because he would almost be walking into Galbatorix's hands. Eragon swore to himself that he wouldn't let that happen.

Islanzadi sighed. "Very well. If that is what you really feel you must do."she said. "If you would like, I will send Vanir and Seira with you."

"Thank you for the kind offer, Queen Islanzadi, but I would rather you wouldn't." Eragon replied, bowing respectfully to her. "Galbatorix would probably kill them, and I don't want them to be harmed after they have been so gracious to us. I think that this is something I should do alone, and I will leave tonight."

He'll kill you, Eragon! Murtagh thought intently. He'll kill you if you don't agree to serve him, which I know you won't!

"All right then." Islanzadi told him, raising her hand in parting. "May you be protected from all harm, Eragon Shadeslayer, and please bring my daughter back safely. And don't worry. Murtagh will be safe here."

Xxxxxxxxxx 

Murtagh sat in the large yard of Vanir's house, watching as the sun began to set. After their talk with Islanzadi, the brothers had hardly spoken a word to each other as they did their own separate things; Eragon preparing to leave for Uru'baen while Murtagh helped Vanir around Ellesmera. Now, since the elf had returned home, the older Rider was spending time with Thorn and Eragon was still inside the house.

What is on your mind, Murtagh? Thorn asked, moving his head closer to his Rider.

Murtagh sighed and looked back at him, grateful for his concern. Eragon's leaving for Uru'baen tonight to try to get Arya and Saphira back.he answered. He's worried about them, as am I, but he thinks he can save them on his own. He doesn't want me to go along. But, there is such an easier way…

I wouldn't want you to go along either if I were him. Thorn replied. That would almost be like walking straight into Galbatorix's hands…

Exactly! Murtagh said desperately, hoping that his dragon would understand. Last night, Shruikan told me that Galbatorix would kill Saphira and Arya if I didn't do what he wanted. He wants my life and service in exchange for their lives. 

Thorn looked startled by his statement. I can't believe you, Murtagh!he exclaimed. We're safe for once! We're being protected from Galbatorix's wrath! Now, you want to return? 

Murtagh sighed again, shaking his head. That's the last thing I want to do, Thorn, and you know it! I want to avoid that place by any means possible.he told him. But I also can't let Saphira and Arya die. I can' abandon them! The reason I want to return is for them, not for me.

Thorn looked down on him for a long moment, and then sighed as he laid his head on Murtagh's shoulder. That's very brave of you.he said. I want you to know that I will always stick by any decision that you make, no matter what. 

Xxxxxxxxxx

Eragon quietly closed the door behind him, making sure that no one was around as he walked away from the house. So far so good. No one had seen him in the night air, and if he could only get to the forest…

"Eragon!"

The young Rider gasped and turned around, watching as Murtagh walked out of the shadows of the yard. He had Zar'roc at his waist, and he looked ready for travel. "What do you think you're doing?" Eragon hissed in question.

"What do you think?" Murtagh replied, walking out into the moonlight.

Eragon stared at his brother in disbelief. "Murtagh, you shouldn't be going with me to Uru'baen!" he shouted. "Do you know how much danger your life will be in?"

Murtagh shrugged the question off. "You don't even know your way through Uru'baen."he stated. "I do." 

"Saphira can lead me." Eragon said, desperately trying to find ways to counter the other Rider. "She can show me where they are!"

"And just how do you plan on getting there?" Murtagh asked, trying to remain calm. "Even if you do reach Uru'baen, how do you plan on handling Shruikan, the twins, and even Galbatorix himself on your own?"

Eragon thought for a moment about what he was going to say. "I was going to take one of the elves' horses since their fast."he answered quickly. "If that didn't work, then I was thinking of maybe asking Thorn to take me. I… I don't know about the rest."

Murtagh's eyes darkened. "He may be your friend, Eragon, but Thorn only listens to me."he snapped quietly.

Anger came over the younger Rider. "All right then!" Eragon shouted. "I'll walk there if I have to! I just don't want you coming along! I understand that you want to get your revenge on Galbatorix for all that he's done to you and Thorn, but-!"

"No, Eragon, you don't understand!" Murtagh cried desperately, his voice strained. "I don't want to play the so-called "hero" and destroy Galbatorix. I can't do that on my own and when I'm in this condition. I'm not going for my own reasons. I'm going to save Arya and Saphira!"

Eragon was stunned. He hadn't expected this burst of emotion from the normally calm Rider. What point was Murtagh trying to make? It sounded like they were going for the same reason…

Murtagh looked down and took a deep breath before he said another word, trying to calm himself. "Shruikan told me that Galbatorix would kill Saphira and Arya if I didn't return and do the king's will."he continued in nearly a whisper. "I've decided to go along and give up the freedom I've gained to save their lives. At least they'll be safe with you. As of right now, I'm afraid I don't see any other way."

Eragon thought about the situation. He certainly had not expected this. Then, he smiled and placed his hand on Murtagh's shoulder comfortingly as an idea came to him. "All right. Call Thorn. You're coming with."he said, his eyes shining. "But don't count completely on your plan yet. I see another way."

A/N: Yay! I'll see how much I can get done in finals tomorrow! I hope you liked it! Thanks for reading, and I'll see how soon I can update next! Thanks, guys! Ironically, I typed all of this and Battle for Varden is on again! Lol! Okay. Later, guys!


	9. An Agreement Broken

**Disclaimer**: I am NOT Paolini, so I don't own his characters.

**A/N**: Yay, a short disclaimer! It's not completely true, though, since I guess I'm now officially Mrs. Paolini (thanks, Fredsonetrueluv!), but I'm only borrowing the characters. I do not own them. Anyway, today was my last day of finals, so I won't have quite as much time to write now. I won't be able to update tomorrow, so my next update might be like on Sunday or Monday. Sorry it won't be quite as fast as this one! Anyway, thanks again to all who reviewed. You are awesome, and really keeping this story going! So, here's the next chapter. It's a little shorter than the others, but I hope you still like it.

Ch. 9: An Agreement Broken

Galbatorix looked at the shadows surrounding him, trying to find something in the dark. Then, he smiled to himself when he saw a pair of glowing red eyes appear out of the darkness, looking at him curiously. "It is almost time."the king said. "Soon, you will be released."

After these words, the eyes seemed to smile.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Arya angrily pulled her arm toward her, trying to break the chain that was holing her wrist, but failed. She sighed and leaned against the wall, almost exhausted. Concerned, Saphira moved her head as close to the elf as she could get to check on her. _Don't exert yourself, Arya._the dragon said. _You've been trying the same thing for almost an hour now. You'll wear yourself out._

"I'm all right, Saphira." Arya replied, smiling. "I just have to give myself a reminder that I am _not _helpless. I'm sure that help will arrive soon."

_Hopefully._ Saphira muttered, looking out of the window that was above Arya's head. _Oh, Eragon. Where are you?_

Suddenly, the door slammed open and two elven twins entered, their dark eyes gleaming. Aie stopped before Arya, breaking her chains and holding on tightly to her arms. The elf tried to struggle, but soon found that she had hardly any strength left.

"Don't worry, _Princess_." Aie said, laughing a little as he pulled her toward the dungeon door. "You're only going to be used as… _a motive_ for Galbatorix to use against Murtagh. If he doesn't do exactly what the king says, you know what will happen." Then, he turned his attention to his twin. "Aianna, stay with the dragon."he told her. "Let me know if it gives you any trouble."

Aianna nodded, smirking as Arya was dragged away.

_Arya!_ Saphira shouted, but she was too late. Arya was gone.

Xxxxxxxxxx

"Are you sure that this will work, Eragon?" Murtagh asked, kind of skeptical about the plan.

"Positive." Eragon answered from behind him, trying to sound encouraging. "Just keep focused."

Murtagh nodded and faced forward again. The two brothers were riding on Thorn as they flew to Uru'baen, and the older Rider could feel his anxiety rising up. This was the last place that he wanted to go, and now he had to walk right into it. He only hoped that Eragon was right…

Eragon watched the landscape beneath them change as they got closer to Galbatorix's fortress. It was a simple plan, really. All they had to do was fly by the king's throne room, but somehow only show Murtagh on Thorn's back. That way, Galbatorix would know that he was there. The young Rider knew that he had the harder job. He would have to hold on to Thorn's tail, which would be below the window and out of eyesight, so that he would not be seen. After they did that, Thorn would wait outside while the two brothers snuck inside to find Saphira and Arya; Murtagh leading them through the fortress while Saphira guided them with her mind… if he could reach out to her. It _had_ to work.

Eragon! 

The younger Rider jumped a little when he suddenly heard his dragon's voice echoing inside his head. _Saphira?_he asked, hearing that he sounded anxious. _Are you all right? You're not hurt, are you?_

_I'm fine, at least for now. _Saphira answered. _But Arya was taken to Galbatorix. He'll kill her soon unless Murtagh goes straight to him!  
_

Eragon swore quietly to himself. This did not look good…

Murtagh glanced back at him. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Galbatorix is going to kill Arya if you don't go straight to him when we arrive." Eragon answered, not able to meet his brother's eyes. "I don't know how our plan is going to work. We can't let Arya die. Maybe I could…"

Murtagh didn't say a word as he tuned the rest of Eragon's sentence out. He moved his gaze away from him and looked at the ground as they sped past, thinking about the situation. Arya had done so much for him lately, and now she was going to die unless he did the thing he wanted to do least of all…

"I'm not going to let her die."he finally said, catching Eragon by surprise. "Look. You're part of our plan will remain the same: sneak inside and head down to the dungeons, but you'll have to go alone. Saphira can lead you. Meanwhile, I'll try to get Arya away from Galbatorix."

"But that means that you-!" Eragon began, but didn't have the chance to finish.

"Eragon, it's all right." Murtagh interrupted, hiding his fear. "Just tell Saphira that we're almost there." He was trying not to make the situation seem like a big deal so that Eragon hopefully wouldn't panic and lose track of what he had to do.

Eragon sighed and turned away from the older Rider, knowing the sacrifice that he was making. _Saphira, we'll be there soon._he said, a feeling of dread coming over him. _Just hold on._

Xxxxxxxxx

Arya glared at Galbatorix as she stood before him, her hands bound before her in heavy chains. "I don't know what good killing me will do."the elf said. "Murtagh will not come that way."

"If Murtagh were coming for you, he would have been here already." Galbatorix replied, glaring down at her. "I think it's safe to assume that he won't be here."

At that moment, the doors to the throne room opened and an angry-looking Murtagh entered the room. Arya looked dismayed as he walked toward them, and Galbatorix couldn't hide his surprise. "Murtagh!" he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I must say, I did not expect _you_ to come!"

"I am not here because I want to be." Murtagh told him darkly, nodding toward the elf. "You have me. Release Arya."

Galbatorix looked at the elf, and the broke the chains around her using magic. As soon as she was free, Arya ran over to Murtagh. "You don't have to do this for me!" she whispered desperately, clinging to his arm. "You don't have to return to Galbatorix for my life!"

Murtagh looked back at her and gave her a small smile. "You're my friend, Arya. I couldn't abandon you."he told her just as quietly. "Eragon should be in the dungeon with Saphira. Go to them. You'll be safe."

"Stay strong, Murtagh. You're not alone." Arya said. "We're coming back for you." Then, she reluctantly ran out into the hall.

Galbatorix watched her leave, then turned to someone Murtagh hadn't seen before. "Go after her."he ordered Aie as he stepped out of the shadows. "Kill her if you can."

"We had an agreement!" Murtagh shouted, turning to face the king as Aie left quickly. "I'm here! You can't harm her!"

"I can do whatever I want, Murtagh." Galbatorix replied, using magic to painfully paralyze Murtagh. "Remember… _I _control _you_." Then, he muttered something in the Ancient Language.

Before Murtagh could react, he felt a burning pain in his head, and the world around him soon went black. The last thing he heard was the king's voice say, "It is time."

Xxxxxxxxxx

Murtagh woke a little while later, finding that he was still lying on the floor of the dark throne room. His head was hurting and he was still dizzy from the sudden attack, but he was relieved to see that he was alone as he sat up. At least for now he didn't have to endure Galbatorix's torture…

Then, his thoughts lingered to Arya. Was she alive? Was she safe? Or had Aie gotten to her? He didn't know the answers to these questions, but for right now, Murtagh knew all he could do was hope she had reached Eragon and Saphira safely.

Suddenly, he jumped when he heard a dark voice say, "Ah, you're finally awake, Murtagh. Good."

Turning around, Murtagh tried to see who was in the room with him. Squinting, he watched as someone walked out of the shadows, and he gasped at whom he saw.

It was the dark face of someone he thought he would never see again.

**A/N**: I haven't had a cliffie for a while, so I thought it was time I had one. Lol! So, who do you think this person is? Send me lots of reviews with your ideas! Also, I had someone mention a few chapters back, I think like chapter two, that Murtagh and Arya should get together. I'm going to try to write the next few chapters where it could go either way. So, it's time for a reader poll. Here's your question:

Who should Arya end up with?

Murtagh

Eragon

No one

Okay, thanks. Please answer the poll! It will affect the way I write the next chapter and probably the rest of the story. Thanks, guys! Later!


	10. More Than a Mere Memory

**Disclaimer**: Is my name Christopher Paolini? No. Therefore, I don't own any of the characters from Eragon or Eldest. Though, some will argue that I am "Mrs. Paolini". Lol!

**A/N**: Hey, guys. Sorry for the longish wait again. I've been busy these past couple days, and this is the first chance I had to update. Also, I kinda had a writer's block with this chapter, but I got past it (thankfully)! Thanks for being patient, and I appreciate all of the reviews. Okay. Now, for the results of the reader poll:

No one: 3

Murtagh: 3

Eragon: 10

Okay, so I guess for this story, Eragon will be with Arya, but it's going to take a long time (sorry to those who voted Murtagh. But, to make you guys who did happy, I'll try writing a story where it's MurtatghxArya). But if you think about it, Murtagh deserves someone better than Arya, don't you think? Okay, so now the reader poll will be Nasuada or an OC (like Aianna or someone else)… Just kidding! But there will be another one at the end of this chapter, one that's even more important than the last one. So, prepare for that. Anyway, I'll stop my rambling and give you the next chapter, which in my opinion, is quite tense toward the end but was hard to write. Darn writer's block… Anyway, enjoy!

Ch. 10: More Than a Mere Memory

Thorn waited anxiously outside of the fortress, wanting to help Murtagh. He could feel some of the pain that his Rider was feeling through their mental link, but it pained him even more to know that he couldn't do anything to help him. He had to wait for Eragon.

_Murtagh, hold on!_he thought intently. _I'll be there soon. Just hold on!  
_

_Well, fancy seeing you here, Thorn._a voice said from above him. _I'm surprised you showed up._

Thorn whirled around and saw the giant form of Shruikan fly down from the dark sky and land behind him. He growled angrily as he turned around to face him completely. _We didn't want to come here, but we had no other choice. _Thorn replied darkly.

Shruikan laughed. _Oh, yes. That's right. I suppose you couldn't let… _Saphira_ die._he muttered, smirking.

Thorn roared, preparing to send a powerful fiery attack at the other dragon. But he suddenly stopped when he felt something deep in the back of his mind. Something was wrong inside Uru'baen… _very _wrong…

_Murtagh!_the red dragon thought anxiously, looking up at the fortress.

Shruikan took this opportunity. He formed flames in the back of his throat and threw them at the distracted dragon.

Thorn's roar of pain echoed in the still night air.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Arya quickly threw open the unlocked dungeon door and saw that Eragon was in the process of freeing Saphira from her chains, just like Murtagh had said. The young Rider looked behind him and smiled when he saw the elf, completely unharmed.

"I'm glad you're all right, Arya." Eragon said, finally breaking the last chain. "I was worried for a while…"

Saphira stood up and stretched, relieved to finally be free. _So, what do we do next?_she asked.

"We go back for Murtagh." Arya answered, coming up to stand next to Eragon. "He's still in Galbatorix's chamber." The Rider looked at her, and he met her determined gaze.

_All right, then._ Saphira said. _Let's-!_

Her thought was suddenly cut off when the three of them heard a loud roar from outside. The blue dragon gasped and looked out of the small window. _Thorn!_she cried, worried. Eragon and Arya exchanged concerned glances.

Saphira then turned her attention back to them. _Do you think that you could get to Murtagh on your own?_she asked anxiously.

Eragon nodded immediately. _Yes._he answered, though Arya looked skeptical. He could sense the deep concerned that she had for the other dragon. _Do what you need to do to help Thorn._

_Thank you, little one. _Saphira replied. Then, she flew out of the dungeon to find the quickest way out for her to take.

Eragon and Arya looked at each other again. "Ready?" the Rider asked.

Arya nodded, her determination evident. "Let's go."she answered. Eragon gave her a smile, and they both left the dungeon together and entered the dark hallway… not noticing the two figures hiding in the shadows, watching them.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Murtagh stared in horror up at the man that stood over him. His hair was dark like his own, and their facial features were similar. The man's skin had a dark tint to it, making him seem even more dark and threatening than he already was. But the thing that scared the Rider the most about his features was his eye color. Murtagh saw that they were dark like his as well, but they had a reddish tint to them that seemed to glow in the darkness of the room. His breath quickening, the Rider was shocked about who this man was… for Murtagh found himself looking into the dark face of his father.

Morzan grinned as he looked down on his terrified nineteen-year-old son. "That's some greeting to give to your father."he said sarcastically. "I thought you had better manners than that, Murtagh."

"It cannot be you." Murtagh whispered, barely able to speak. "You were dead! Eragon told me that Brom killed you!"

"Ah, yes. Brom." Morzan replied, laughing a little. "Now that is quite an interesting story. You see, everyone thought that I really _was_ dead, because it seemed like I was. But, for some unknown reason, even to me, I didn't die. At least, not fully. I was barely alive, and I knew that I would die soon. But, by some lucky chance, Galbatorix found me. He initially thought that I was dead too. But then, he noticed that my sword, Zar'roc, was glowing slightly. That's when he knew that even if my body wasn't alive, my mind was.

For years, Galbatorix tried to revive me, to restore me to my original state. He sustained my mind by using dark magic, but he could not find a way to fully bring me back. That is, until recently."

"Recently?" Murtagh asked quietly, surprised that he still had his voice.

Morzan smirked. "Yes. Recently, Galbatorix found a way to restore both my physical state and my mental state using magic."he answered. "It was a very slow process, but it finally paid off." He stopped for a moment, thoughtfully looking down on his son. "Judging by what Galbatorix has said to me, you experienced signs that I was returning, but you didn't know what they meant."he muttered.

Murtagh looked up at him, confused. "What do you-?" he began, but stopped when it all fell into place. "My scar…" he whispered. "That's why I've been having those strange attacks. But, why was it happening?"

"Galbatorix had that exact same question for me when I was finally whole enough to be able to speak." Morzan replied. "I told him that it was part of my curse."

"Your curse?" Murtagh said. So, Eragon had been right after all…

Morzan's eyes shone. "Before Galbatorix found me and I didn't think that I would survive, I was wondering what would happen after I died."the evil Rider explained. "I didn't want all of my hard work to end, no. I wanted my legacy to continue on, and the only way I could think of… was through you."

Murtagh stared up at the man in horror. He wanted nothing to do with him! 

"So, using most of the remaining life force I had, I did the only thing I could to ensure that my final wish would be granted." Morzan continued. "I set my curse on your most vulnerable point: the scar I left on you. That way, I knew that my legacy would live on, even after I was gone. It would drive you to fulfill your destiny… or destroy you in the process."

"I'm not anything like you!" Murtagh snapped angrily, beginning to gain confidence. "I will _not_ fulfill your legacy, no matter what happens to me! I would rather die by your curse than have it drive me to do what you want me to!"

Morzan's face hardened. "You have no choice."he told him. "It has already begun. Why do you think you're being forced to serve Galbatorix, even though it's against your will? Why do you think that you are a Rider working for Galbatorix? The pain from your scar and the messages that I have been sending you are signs that it is almost time to accept your fate, Murtagh. You are bound to this fate, and you cannot escape it… no matter how much you desire to."

Murtagh shuddered when he remembered the vision he had on the way to Ellesmera… the red eyes appearing out of the darkness, his father's haunting voice… Then, he saw with dread that Morzan had Zar'roc tightly in his hand, leaving him defenseless. The younger Rider looked around desperately, and saw that there was a sword on the floor near Galbatorix's chair that must have been left behind. Thinking quickly, he jumped up and grabbed it. Then, he swung it at his father, who blocked it with Zar'roc. "I can try." Murtagh whispered intently.

Morzan glared back at him and pushed his sword aside, quickly putting Zar'roc's red blade against his son's neck before he had the chance to raise his sword again. "Nice try, Murtagh, but the thing you fail to comprehend is that my curse is not yet complete."he told him, watching as Murtagh's eyes widened in horror. "And when it is, you will have no choice but to accept your fate!"

**A/N**: Yes, I did bring Morzan back. I hope I did it well and that everyone's happy. Don't worry. In the next chapter, Morzan and Murtagh will actually fight. I was just thinking as I was writing this, who would play Morzan in a movie? Anyone have any ideas? If you do, I would love to hear them! Okay, as I said before, I am going to have another reader poll, but it's going to be very important. I am sad to say that there is only going to be one or two more chapters of Morzan's Curse, but if it's one or two is your choice. You see, you can help me decide the ending, and I might need more than one chapter depending on this outcome (Also, if you want to read a little more of this, just vote yes! Lol!) I was thinking after I wrote this chapter that there is a way I could write this that could continue the idea on to another story. My question is, should there be a third story after Morzan's Curse? Here are your options:

Yes!!!!! Definitely! I love this idea!!!! (means two more chapters)

No. Get over this idea and write something else, you loser! (means one more chapter)

……… I hope that none of you pick option two because that would be just mean! Lol! Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, and there will DEFINITELY be more action in the next one! I also hope to hear from you with this poll, because how many times can you help someone decide the ending of their story? Lol! Also, give me your ideas on who would play Morzan in a movie. That should be interesting! Thanks!


	11. Blood Runs Thicker Than Water

**Disclaimer**: The characters or settings from Eragon (now including Morzan) are not mine.

**A/N**: I'm SO sorry for the longer wait again! I've been really busy lately, and I just haven't had time! Anyway, thank you for all of the reviews! I don't even have to tell you the results of the poll, since it's unanimous. There will be two more chapters to this one, along with a sequel! But the next chapter IS the last one, so there's not much I can do about that. But, there will be another, so you don't have to worry! Oh, and don't worry. This will NOT be a MurtaghxNasuada fic! I don't know if I'm too fond of the pairing myself really… lol! So, anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks for reading this, guys!

Ch. 11: Blood runs Thicker Than Water

Eragon heard it before he saw it. The sound of magic being fired echoed in his ears, and he knew that it was close. Acting entirely on instinct, he grabbed Arya by the arms and pulled her to the side of the hallway, slamming them both into the stone wall. A black beam of energy flew past them, and the Rider couldn't help but think how close that had been to hitting them…

Arya looked over her shoulder at her friend angrily. "What did you do that for, Eragon?" she demanded, rubbing her shoulder where it had made impact with the stone. "I knew that attack was coming!"

"Oh… I'm sorry." Eragon mumbled, his face red with embarrassment. "I didn't know…" That's all he could think of to say under her demanding glare. Then, they both looked behind them when they heard laughter.

"Would you look at that?" Aie sneered, seeming to materialize out of the shadows. "They're worse than siblings!"

"You can say that again." Aianna agreed, laughing. "So, which one do you want to take on?"

"It doesn't matter to me." Aie replied. "No matter what, they're not getting to Galbatorix."

Aianna smirked. "All right, then."she said, her dark eyes landing on Eragon. "I'll take out the Rider."

Eragon and Arya stood near each other defensively, preparing for an attack. "Be careful, Arya." Eragon muttered, taking out his sword while the twins did the same.

Arya glared up at him while she pulled out her sword, but then she sighed. "You too, Eragon."she whispered. "Good luck."

Then, Aie lunged forward, brining his sword down toward Arya. The elf raised her weapon and blocked the attack, then swung out with force that Eragon did not expect from her. Then, his attention was quickly moved away from her when Aianna approached him, and the Rider was separated from Arya as they each fought one of the twins.

Eragon was surprised by the speed of each strike that Aianna sent at him, and he found that he was barely able to block each attack. The elf aimed a blow at his head, and Eragon put his sword in front of his face to protect himself. Aianna's face was near to his, and he was shocked to see that he was looking anxious.

"Listen to me, Rider!" she whispered, sounding strained. "Murtagh is upstairs in the throne room."

"Why are you telling me this?" Eragon asked, suspicious.

Aianna sighed. "Galbatorix has unleashed his most powerful weapon."she answered, her eyes frightened. "He didn't tell us about doing this; we had no idea. But if we don't stop him, we could all die!"

"Wait. Him?" Eragon said. "I thought you said that Galbatorix unleashed a weapon!"

"He did." Aianna replied, her voice fearful. "A man _is_ his weapon. Aie doesn't understand how much danger we're all really in. I do. If he's not stopped before the curse on Murtagh is complete, it's over."

Eragon looked back at her with some fear and some confusion. So, there really _was_ a curse… "Who is he?" he asked. "Is Murtagh all right?"

Aianna shrugged. "I don't know."she answered. "I don't know if Murtagh is all right. As for the man, we only know him as Darksword. I saw his treachery firsthand during the Fall. I… I thought he was dead, but… I guess I was wrong."

"I'm still not sure why you're telling me this." Eragon said, horrified by her words. "Are you just going to let me go?"

"Yes." Aianna told him. "If Galbatorix wouldn't have done what he did, I wouldn't. But from what I've heard of you, you're strong enough to help us."

"Won't Aie stop me?" Eragon wondered. "He's not just going to let me leave."

Aianna gave him a smile. "Leave that to me."the elf replied. "I have an idea. Besides, he's fighting with Arya. He'll be distracted enough with that not to stop you."

"What's your-!" Eragon began to ask, but was cut off when Aianna suddenly let out a pained scream and dropped to her knees, her hands at her side. The Rider looked down on her in horror, wondering what was wrong.

Aie glanced over at his sister, worried. "Aianna!" he shouted, cringing when Arya took this advantage and cut his leg with her sword.

Eragon was transfixed with fear, looking down on the elf that was kneeling in front of him. She truly seemed to be in pain… Then, he gasped when Aianna looked up at him and winked. "Go!" she whispered anxiously. "I'm doing this to give you time and to make Aie more distracted. Hurry!"

"Thank you, Aianna." Eragon replied, his hand still tight around his sword hilt and relieved that she wasn't really hurt. "I won't forget what you have done for us."

"Don't get used to it." Aianna told him. "After this threat is over and if we survive, we're enemies again, Rider."

Eragon smiled. "All right. If we survive."he said. Then, he quickly ran down the hallway and up the stairs. He could feel Aie's dark eyes on him and felt his anger when the elf knew that he couldn't follow him, but that didn't matter. He had to save his brother; to stop the curse within his scar from being complete. He tried to reach Murtagh through their mental connection to see where he was and if he was even alive.

At first, he was dismayed when he didn't feel anything. Had Aianna warned him too late?

But then, relief spread through him when he felt Murtagh's energy. Some powerful energy had been blocking it before, and it was still working because his brother's energy was faint. More determined than before, Eragon hurried down another long hallway, hoping that he was on the right way to the throne room… and to Murtagh.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Murtagh looked down nervously at Zar'roc's red blade, it's point resting against his neck. He looked up into his father's black eyes, seeing that he was smirking.

"Are you finally beginning to see it, Murtagh?" Morzan asked, his eyes having a red tint to them. "Are you finally seeing that you have no choice but to accept your fate?"

Murtagh didn't answer. He didn't want to be a part of Morzan's plan, but it truly did seem like he had no choice. Why did this have to happen? Then, he figured that he would rather have it happen to him than to Eragon…

Then, his eyes widened slightly when he felt a familiar energy trying to get past the barriers in his mind. After a moment, he let down all of the barriers that he dared, wanting to make sure that it was really who he thought it was. _Eragon?_ Murtagh asked.

_Murtagh?_ The older Rider could sense his younger brother's surprise. _Thank goodness you're all right! Hang on! I'll be there shortly!_

_No! Eragon, don't come! _Murtagh said anxiously. _I appreciate your worry, but it's too dangerous! I have to handle this on my own!_

_Murtagh, I'm coming no matter what you say. _Eragon replied. _I'm almost there. Just hang on a little longer. Who's with you?_

_It's-!_ Murtagh's thought was choked off when a strong power blocked it, causing severe pain in his head. Gasping, the dark-eyed Rider looked at his father with fear.

"I'm sorry, but you won't be communicating with anyone." Morzan said, laughing as he kept up the mental barrier. "No one can help you."

Murtagh glared up at him as he gathered some of his strength to resist him. "Get out of my mind!" he shouted, raising the sword he held and batting Zar'roc aside. He barely noticed that the point cut his neck slightly.

Startled by the sudden strength, Morzan moved back a little and then smirked. "So, you do have some fight left in you?" he taunted. "Well, we'll see how long that lasts!" He lunged at Murtagh with his sword held high, bringing it down toward him.

Murtagh raised his sword to block the attack, surprised by the strength of the blow. His father's dark, glaring eyes seemed to be driving into his mind, trying to see who his son had been communicating with. But before he could get past the mental barriers, Murtagh pushed him away and swung his sword at the dark Rider's head.

Morzan ducked to avoid the attack, then aimed Zar'roc at his son's stomach. Murtagh jumped back, the point of the sword barely missing him. Then, both Riders threw their swords forward and the weapons met, clanging loudly against each other. Both of them tried to push forward to try to gain the advantage, but neither of them was able to.

Murtagh smirked at his father. "It seems like neither one of us will bring down the other."he muttered grimly. "We're equal."

"Not exactly." Morzan replied. "I must admit, you _are_ stronger than I anticipated, Murtagh, but you haven't learned how to unlock and call upon the true powers of Zar'roc yet."

"What do you-?" Murtagh began to ask, but was cut off when his father's blade suddenly emitted a bright flash of red light. He was thrown to the floor because of the force, and he gasped when the wind was knocked out of him.

Morzan stood over Murtagh, the energy still lingering around Zar'roc's blade. "It is almost time."the Rider muttered, his eyes beginning to glow red along with his sword. "It is almost time for the curse to be complete."

Suddenly, the door to the throne room crashed open and Eragon lunged in, his sword held high as he aimed it toward Morzan. The evil Rider's eyes stopped glowing when his concentration was broken, and he quickly spun around to block the attack. Eragon glared at the man as they exchanged blows with each other, reminding him of the many times he had been in battle before. Murtagh watched them from the floor, trying to get his strength back but preparing to jump up to help if his brother needed him.

As they continued to fight, Eragon couldn't help but notice that this man's fighting style was familiar, like someone's he knew… Finally, when he saw a slight twirl to his opponent's sword, he realized who else had a fighting style like this one.

Murtagh. This man and his brother had almost identical techniques with a sword.

Morzan was getting angry. He had the feeling that someone was going to try to interfere, and he now knew that he should have acted upon that feeling sooner. Trying to end this fight as soon as possible, Morzan threw a heavy blow at Eragon, who raised his sword to block it.

Eragon looked back at the man's dark, angry eyes, confused. "Who are you?" he asked quietly.

The evil Rider smirked. "I am the rightful owner of the sword that will be your end." Morzan answered, watching as Eragon tried to figure out his words.

Murtagh slowly got to his feet, seeing that the younger Rider didn't understand. "Eragon…" he said slowly, meeting his brother's gaze sadly, "…he's our father."

Horror flooded through Eragon when he heard this. The man he was fighting… was _Morzan_?! That couldn't be possible! Brom had killed him! How could Galbatorix have revived him?! 

Morzan grinned. "Oh! Well, this is a surprise."he muttered. "Eragon, Murtagh's brother. Who would have thought…" Then, he forcefully pushed the younger Rider's sword away and watched as Zar'roc's red blade moved down Eragon's side.

Eragon cried out in pain and surprise as he dropped his weapon and fell to his knees, his hands at his side. Morzan smirked and stood over him, preparing to bring Zar'roc down on him. "It's been a pleasure, _Son_."he said, laughing a little. "But, I'm afraid that now it's time to say good-bye." He raised his sword higher and started to bring it down quickly toward the young Rider.

Suddenly, Morzan's eyes widened in surprise when his sword stopped inches away from Eragon's head, resting on another blade. His eyes followed its path, and he found himself looking into the angry face of Murtagh.

"You'll have to kill me first."the dark-eyed Rider told him, pushing his father back.

But Morzan reacted fast. Even as he was still moving back from the force of the push, he lunged his sword out and cut Murtagh's sword arm, making him drop his weapon. Murtagh looked back at his father, dismayed that his fighting arm was now too injured to use.

Morzan laughed a little. "Now, that's more like it." he said, walking toward the two brothers. "Hopefully, there won't be any more interferences."

Murtagh glanced down on the younger Rider. "Eragon, you have to get out of here!" he whispered anxiously. "There's only one thing I can do now, and I won't be able to protect you after that."

"I didn't ask for your protection." Eragon replied in a snappy way, but he knew that he was in no shape to fight. "You had _better_ not be doing what I think you're about to do."

He was horrified when he saw the small smile that appeared on Murtagh's face and when he heard his brother's voice echo inside his mind reassuringly.

_I'm doing this for you, Eragon._

Murtagh then concentrated on his energy, hoping that he had enough to pull this off. There were only a few people that he couldn't let die, and his brother was one of them. He would do anything to ensure that their lives were safe.

Finally feeling that he had gathered enough energy, Murtagh raised his arm in front of him. "Brisingr!" **(fire!)** he shouted, watching as the red flames engulfed his father and brought him to the ground.

Then, a searing pain ran along the scar on his back just as he had expected, but it was more intense than ever before. Murtagh tried to hold back a cry as he fell to his knees, his eyes shut tightly in pain.

"Murtagh!" Eragon shouted in horror.

Morzan was back on his feet in an instant, and he smirked to himself when his eyes landed on his struggling, oldest son. "Thank you, Murtagh."he said, his voice having an odd tone to it as he knew that an effect of his curse was taking place. "You've just made it possible for my curse to be completed."

Eragon stared at what was happening in horror, also angered by that fact that he was so helpless. Why did he have to be hurt? But, Murtagh had made a sacrifice for him, and now, it was his turn. He knew that he had to do something to help his brother.

But then, he froze in horror when he heard a threatening growl and when a pair of large, glowing, red eyes appeared in the window of the throne room…

**A/N**: (Are you guys even reading these? Lol!) Hoped you liked it! This had a little more action in it, but it does leave some questions. Just which side is Aianna on? What's going to happen to Murtagh? And whom do the eyes belong to? Well, you'll have to find out in the _final _chapter! I know. I'm sad too! But, as I said before, don't worry! There _will_ be a sequel. Oh, and a bit of a joke… When Eragon asked who Morzan was, I _was _going to have him say, "Eragon… I am your _father_!" But, I figured that would make it lose the effect a little! Just kidding. I wasn't really going to put that… lol!

OH! I almost forgot! I now have an account on a website called It's just like fanfiction, except it's your own original work that's not based on anything that already exists. I can't submit anything until three days from now, but I'm going to! Now, you guys can read what else I write (if you wanted to)! My pen name is the same, so you should be able to find me once I start getting some stuff on! And if you want to read something funny, I'm writing a story with one of my friends. Go to my favorites list and you'll find it. It's called The Crossover Big Time. I think you might like it! Again, thanks for the reviews!


	12. Eragon's Promise

**Disclaimer**: Sorry, but my name is not Christopher Paolini, so therefore, I don't own any of his characters. Lol!

**A/N**: Yay! Fanfiction is working for me again! Sorry about the long wait, guys. I've been sick for the past few days (almost a week), and I haven't really felt like doing much of anything! But, I am feeling pretty much better now and the computer is working properly again (so no one panic!). lol! Happy Valentines Day to you all! This is my Valentines Day present to you! Hope you enjoy the final chapter!

A little note… I don't think the name of Morzan's dragon is ever mentioned. I even asked my friend who read Eragon recently, and he said that it wasn't. So, this same friend gave me a name to use!

Ch. 12: Eragon's Promise

Thorn slowly got to his feet as Shruikan stood over him, laughing. _You're too easily distracted, Thorn._he said, looking down at the red dragon as he glared back at him. _You have to keep your mind on the fight._

_I… I have to get to Murtagh. _Thorn snapped as he anxiously looked up at the towering form of Uru'baen. _There's something very wrong happening inside. Can't you feel it, Shruikan? _

_I'm sorry, Thorn, but I'm afraid that you won't be able to get to your Rider._ Shruikan replied, hiding the slight fear he was suddenly feeling. So, Thorn felt that something was wrong too…

Thorn growled softly to himself in anger. He _had_ to get past Shruikan… before it was too late…

Suddenly, both dragons heard a loud roar as a fiery attack came and hit Shruikan, making him back away from Thorn. _Get away from him! _a voice shouted as a dragon landed next to the red one. Thorn smiled when he saw her.

_Thank you, Saphira. _he said.

Saphira turned to look at him, and then rubbed her head against his neck. _You're welcome. _she replied with a smile. Thorn returned the gesture.

_That's cute._ Shruikan sneered as he walked toward them. _You're together again. But I'm afraid that the reunion will be short lived!_

_Shruikan, you hate Galbatorix! _Saphira cried. _Why are you doing his will?_

_Whoever said that I was doing what Galbatorix wants? _Shruikan asked, his eyes gleaming.

_Please, Shruikan! _Thorn begged. _Something is happening in there! I know you can feel it too! You _have _to let us through!_

_Tempting offer, but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to decline._ Shruikan replied, forming another fiery attack in the back of his throat.

Thorn stood protectively in front of Saphira, forming an attack of his own. But before either dragon could attack, a loud, angry roar echoed in the night air around them.

Saphira and Thorn stood close together as the red dragon stopped his attack, and Shruikan looked wildly around as he did the same. They heard the roar again, and all three dragons looked up at Uru'baen.

They watched in horror as a large, black outline appeared against the night sky, its red eyes the only light in the darkness…

Xxxxxxxxxx

Morzan looked away from Murtagh when he heard the loud roar, and he smiled when he saw the red eyes watching them. "That was faster than I thought." he muttered to himself, slowly walking toward the window. "Much faster than I thought…"

Seeing that his brother was out of danger for the moment, Eragon quickly got to his feet and rushed to Murtagh's side. "Come on!" he said anxiously, pulling him up and supporting him. "This is our chance!" 

Murtagh nodded his agreement, but before they could head for the door to the throne room, they watched in horror as Morzan opened the window and as Galbatorix entered through it.

"I have done what you thought was impossible." the king said with a broad smile. "Amafaer has returned."

Morzan shook his head in wonder, amazed that such a thing could be done. "How did you do this?" he asked, reaching his hand out into the night air and running his hand along his dragon's snout.

"It was not easy." Galbatorix answered. "It took a lot of my power, more than I would normally use for someone. Your dragon was even closer to death than you were, if possible. The only thing was, his body was still barely alive since he could sense that your mind was not yet gone, unlike you. That part made the process slightly easier, but it took more energy to revive him. Also, I had a shorter amount of time to bring him back than you, so…"

Morzan only nodded, unable to believe that his dragon was back. _Amafaer, I have missed having you by my side. _the Rider said.

_And I you._ Amafaer replied in his deep voice. _Are you ready to serve Galbatorix once more?_

Sighing, Morzan nodded. _It is time. _he told him.

Murtagh turned away from the sight to look at his brother. "Let's go!" he whispered anxiously. "We have to take this chance!"

Eragon immediately began to pull Murtagh along beside him as he turned and headed for the door, but he stopped when he felt Galbatorix's eyes on them.

"You two aren't going anywhere!" the king snapped, raising his hand. "Letta!" **(stop!)**

Both Riders felt anxious when they could no longer move, and Eragon recognized this to be the same spell that Murtagh had used on him at the battle of the Burning Plains. Murtagh glanced backward with his eyes when he heard footsteps approaching them, and he tried to give his father an angry look as he came to a stop in front of them.

"You are merely prolonging the fate that you cannot escape." Morzan told his eldest son, pulling him away from Eragon and throwing him roughly to the ground. Murtagh winced in pain and held his already injured arm tightly when he landed on it hard, but he was found that he was free from Galbatorix's spell.

_Thorn! _he thought desperately.

Eragon watched anxiously as Morzan left Murtagh and moved back in front of him, his eyes moving to Zar'roc's red blade. "You will pay for interfering." the evil Rider muttered, raising the sword.

"Wait." Galbatorix commanded, walking over to join the Rider as he looked over Eragon. "I want him alive."

Morzan glanced at the king, and then looked back at Eragon with an angry look in his eyes. The younger Rider watched him, feeling slightly relieved when the man lowered his sword and walked away from him. But anger soon replaced that slight relief when he stopped in front of his brother.

"Now, are you going to be more cooperative?" Morzan demanded harshly as he looked down on his struggling son.

Murtagh opened his eyes and angrily looked up at his father, not saying a word. He didn't want to do anything the man told him to do, but it seemed like he didn't really have too much of a choice…

Morzan looked down on Murtagh, and his eyes began to glow red. A moment later, Murtagh cried out involuntarily as his scar began to glow, the start of the painful completion of his father's curse.

"Murtagh!" Eragon shouted with fear, trying to break free of the king's spell. He desperately wanted to help his brother. Galbatorix stood next to him, watching what was happening with amusement. When the curse was completed, Murtagh wouldn't be an unwilling servant anymore…

"The time has come. The curse is finally almost complete." Morzan muttered, watching as Murtagh continued to writhe on the floor in front of him. "My legacy will be fulfilled…"

Suddenly, some of the large windows on the other side of the throne room shattered when a large force broke them. Eragon found that he was finally able to move. He was free from Galbatorix's spell since the king was distracted by the sudden loud noise.

Morzan looked up at the windows, furious when his eyes stopped glowing because of the sudden distraction. Murtagh lay still at his feet, breathing deeply as relief swarmed through him that his father had stopped using the spell. The evil Rider then walked over to Galbatorix so they could speak with each other.

Seeing that his brother wasn't in any immediate danger again, Eragon quickly ran over to him. "Murtagh!" he said anxiously, keeling down by his side. "Come on, Murtagh! Please!"

Murtagh quickly opened his eyes and took a deep breath at the sound of his name, and he smiled when he saw the younger Rider's worried eyes. "Don't worry, Eragon." he told him. "I'll survive."

Eragon smiled back. "Let's try to get out of here." he replied, grabbing Murtagh's arm and putting it around his neck as he pulled his brother to his feet. "Luck for us that distraction came when it did. I wonder what it was…"

Both Riders looked over at the shattered windows, squinting to try to see out into the night air. Suddenly, they heard a loud roar and an anxious voice echo inside their minds.

_Murtagh! Eragon! Are you two all right?_

Murtagh smiled when he heard the familiar voice. _Now we are. _he answered. _Thanks to you, Thorn._

_Where's Saphira? _Eragon wondered.

_She's going to get Arya._ Thorn told him. _Don't worry. She's fine. Now, I have to get you two out of there!  
_

Galbatorix and Morzan watched with disbelief as the red dragon's large tail smashed more windows, leaving a lot of empty panes. Murtagh and Eragon exchanged looks with each other, and then ran toward the now broken windows.

King Galbatorix prepared to use magic to stop them, but Morzan set his hand on his arm. "Don't bother wasting your time." he muttered, watching as Murtagh and Eragon climbed onto Thorn's tail and were lifted out of the throne room.

"You aren't going to try to stop them?" Galbatorix asked, surprised.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that." Morzan answered, a smirk appearing on his face. "They won't get far."

Xxxxxxxxxx

Aie aimed another blow at Arya's head, which she blocked. A second later, she sent a blow of her own at him. Neither one of them seemed to be tiring, and it seemed like their battle could go on forever.

Aianna was standing against the wall, pretending to be healing her side. Her thoughts lingered on what she had said to Eragon during their short battle, but she was mainly concerned about the older Rider. _Please get to Murtagh in time…_ she thought with worry.

Suddenly, Aie stopped the battle while Aianna looked up. They had both heard a commanding voice inside of their minds.

_Aie! Aianna! Come to the throne room immediately! _Galbatorix ordered.

The twins looked at each other and nodded. Aie turned his attention to Arya. "I'm sorry to say that I have to run, Princess, but it can't be helped." he told her, pushing her into the stone wall as he passed her. "Consider yourself fortunate. Next time you won't be so lucky."

Aianna looked at the elf for a moment, and then quickly followed her twin up the stairs. They were gone.

Arya sighed as she put her sword away. Now all she had to do was help Eragon to save Murtagh.

_Arya!_

The elf froze when she heard her name insider of her head. _Saphira?_ Arya asked. _Where are you?_

_If you run up the stairs near you, I'm right at the window on your left. _Saphira answered her. _Hurry! Thorn's getting Eragon and Murtagh. We have to meet them!_

_On my way, Saphira._ Arya answered while she hurried up the stone stairs. As she got onto Saphira after climbing through the window, the elf hoped that all of them would be able to escape Uru'baen.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Murtagh smiled slightly as they flew away from the dark fortress. He couldn't believe that they had all left Uru'baen alive. It seemed nearly impossible, since Morzan had returned. His smile vanished when he thought about his father. The Rider could feel his scar throbbing every once in a while, and he knew that the curse was not let complete…

Thorn's mood suddenly brightened when he saw another dragon coming toward them from the left. _Good. You got Arya. _he said once the two creatures were close enough. _Now we can leave this cursed place._

_Yes. Let's leave as fast as possible and before anyone comes after us. _Saphira replied as Eragon climbed on her. _I'm just relieved that Eragon and Murtagh are alive!  
_

_I wonder how long that's going to last._ Murtagh thought bitterly to himself, blocking these words from everyone around him. _Galbatorix and Morzan aren't just going to let us leave so easily…_

Suddenly, Murtagh let out a surprised cry of pain as his scar began to burn.

_Murtagh!_ Thorn said anxiously as he glanced behind him at the Rider, watching as he leaned against his neck for support. Saphira, Eragon, and Arya all watched with worry as the also shouted his name.

Then, a loud roar resounded around them, and Thorn and Saphira looked back down at Uru'baen. They watched in horror as the black form of a large dragon that wasn't Shruikan flew up at them, sending up billowing black flames.

Thorn and Saphira separated so the dangerous flames didn't harm them or the people riding them. Arya was horrified as she saw the dark eyes of the man who was on the dragon that was attacking them. "Is that Morzan?!" she whispered anxiously. "Then that must be Amafaer, his dragon. But, I thought that they were dead! How could they have returned?!"

"I'm not sure." Eragon replied darkly. "I only fought with Morzan. I didn't speak with him."

Murtagh slowly opened his eyes when he heard another fiery attack being fired. He noticed that he and Thorn were quite a distance away from Saphira, Eragon, and Arya, and he saw that his father and his dragon were only concentrating on him… _He's only after us, Thorn. _the Rider told his dragon.

_I know._ Thorn replied. _What about it?_

_That means that Eragon, Arya, and Saphira can escape. _Murtagh said.

Thorn thought about his words for a moment. _They won't leave if it means leaving us behind. _he muttered.

Murtagh smiled. _I know that. _he confirmed. _We'll have to make them._

The red dragon looked back at his Rider as he dodged another attack from Amafaer. _Make them? _he asked. Then, he returned the smile. _It will be a challenge, but I'm up to it if you are._

Murtagh nodded. _I am._

Suddenly, Thorn let out a loud roar of pain when Amafaer's teeth clamped tightly on his back, mere inches behind Murtagh. The Rider looked back at the dragon and Morzan, seeing that his father's eyes were gleaming maliciously.

Saphira stopped flying and looked at the red dragon with horror. _Thorn! _she screamed, heading toward him as fast as she could.

Thorn's eyes moved to her, and he growled angrily as he sent flames flying in her direction. He didn't want to, but he knew that it was necessary.

Saphira gasped and dove quickly down to avoid the attack, making sure that Eragon and Arya were out of harm's way. _Thorn, what-!_

_Get out of here!_ Thorn shouted, looking at the blue dragon angrily. _Escape now while you still have the chance! Go, Saphira!  
_

_Thorn…_ Saphira muttered, longingly looking at the other dragon.

Eragon looked down on his dragon in disbelief and slight anger. _Saphira, come on! Let's go! _he urged. _We have to help them! _

Saphira sighed as she glanced back at her Rider sadly. _Thorn won't let me get near to them. _she told him quietly. _I'm afraid there's nothing I can do._

Angry now, Eragon looked over at his older brother. _Murtagh! _he shouted through their mental link, seeing the Rider cringe at the sudden loud sound of his name. _Tell Thorn to let us come to you!_

_I'm sorry, Eragon, but I can't do that._ Murtagh replied. _Thorn's already made up his mind. Besides, they're only after us, not you. Hurry! I don't want you hurt!  
_

_I'm not leaving you behind! _Eragon told him fiercely. _I'm not leaving you to face both Galbatorix and Morzan alone!_

He could hear his brother's sigh. _Look, Eragon. I'll be fine._ Murtagh said. _I have Thorn. They can't kill me because they need me. There's not much that you can do now anyway with only the three of you. When you get more people, then you could possibly come back. But not until then._

Eragon was about to argue, but he stopped when he felt Arya's gently hand rest on his shoulder. "Murtagh's right, Eragon." she whispered. "We don't stand a chance against Galbatorix, Morzan, their dragons, and the twins alone. We have to have more people with us."

The younger Rider turned around and looked at the elf. "I can't leave him." Eragon told her, fear in his voice. "I can't…"

"We have no choice." Arya replied, though her expression was pained. "If we tried to do anything now, the only thing that it would accomplish is getting us captured. We can't save Murtagh then. We'll gather some more soldiers and come back as soon as we can, okay?"

Eragon didn't answer or even look back at his friend. He felt awful about leaving Murtagh behind, and he wondered if his brother would do the same in his position… Then, he gasped when he heard Morzan speak. He was saying something in the Ancient Language, and even though his voice was only a whisper, the younger Rider could hear it clearly as it was carried on the wind.

"No, Murtagh!" Eragon shouted when he heard his brother's cry. He watched in horror as Murtagh fell off of Thorn's back, unconscious, and landed in his father's arms.

"I'll take this." Morzan said, looking down on his son's limp form before looking up at Eragon. Amafaer then began to fly back down toward Uru'baen, dragging a limp Thorn along with him.

The last thing that Eragon heard before Morzan and Amafaer disappeared into the shadows of the fortress with their unconscious captives were two words…

"You're next."

Xxxxxxxxxx

The sun was beginning to set as Saphira, Eragon, and Arya flew over Alagaseia. The blue dragon was strangely silent as she sped toward Ellesmera, her expression hard as her thoughts lingered on Thorn.

Eragon was the same way as he thought about Murtagh and what horrors he was possibly going through. Why hadn't he taken Queen Islanzadi's advice and had Vanir and Seira, along with even Nari and Lifaen, come along? He knew that it was his fault that they didn't have enough people. It was his fault that they couldn't have saved Murtagh yet…

Arya sat behind him, looking at the Rider sadly. "Eragon…" she began, but didn't continue. She didn't know what the right thing to say to him would be.

"What?" Eragon asked without feeling, looking behind him to face her.

The elf sighed and met the Rider's eyes. "You know that it's not your fault about what happened to Murtagh, right?" she answered. "It's the only option that we had at the time. We were outnumbered. It's what Murtagh wanted anyway…"

"I still feel like we could have done _something_." Eragon muttered. "I just don't like the thought that I abandoned him. Your queen told me to take people with me, but…"

Arya slowly placed her hands on his shoulders as a form of comfort. "You didn't abandon him." she told him reassuringly. "Murtagh told us to run. Look at it this way. When we return to Ellesmera, there will be a lot of elves who will want to help us. Then, we can hurry and save Murtagh. You'll see. Everything will be fine."

_That's right, little one._ Saphira agreed, her voice fierce.

Eragon nodded, relieved to have his friends' support and comfort. "Thank you, Arya." he said, giving her a smile. "You too, Saphira." Arya smiled back. Then, the Rider turned his head to look at the golden sun as it rose higher in the deep pink sky.

_Hold on, Murtagh._he thought. _I know you probably can't hear me, but know my promise. I'm coming back for you and Thorn. I'll get both of you away from Galbatorix and Morzan, no matter what the cost. We're coming. I promise you!_

**A/N**: That's it! Thank you all very much for reviewing! I appreciate every one of them. I ended this pretty much open-ended so that you'll be looking forward to the sequel, Morzan's Legacy. Hope you enjoyed it, and I'll see you soon with the next story!

"_My legacy will be fulfilled…"_


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